A brilliantly-finished 96-minute Marco Chindea penalty settled a dramatic FAI Intermediate Cup tie in dramatic fashion and in favour of Lucan United at Liz O’Toole Park last weekend.
United enjoyed an extremely entertaining back-and-forth cup tussle with Glebe North and only secured passage to the next round right at the death.
With the sides level at three apiece as the clock ticked past 90 minutes, the home side won a penalty, former Waterford United frontman Chindea stepped up and riffled the ball into the top left-hand corner.
The confidently taken penalty won John Doyle’s team the delayed cup tie and saw them secure the final last 16 place of this season’s FAI Intermediate Cup. The Senior Sunday side will now take on Senior 1 outfit St Patrick’s CY for a quarter-final berth.
Glebe, who played an attractive brand of football throughout, took the lead in spectacular fashion, Reece Weldon’s audacious wind-assisted free kick from halfway broke the deal lock 20 minutes in.
Lucan responded well and were level within 10 minutes thanks to a finish from former League of Ireland player Gary Shaw before midfielder Gary Seery gave them an advantage going into the turn.
Glebe started the second half well and flirted with leveling after the turn, but it was Lucan who found the net next.
The Co Dublin side secured a two-goal cushion when Shaw pounced on a defensive error to bag his second.
Much to their credit Glebe showed massive resilience and battled their way back into progression contention. The ever-threatening Ahu Obhakhan pulled one back when he ended a period of away pressure by putting the finishing touches on a move that included good work from stalwart Austin McCann.
Obhakhan came close to leveling soon after, however, Lucan were handed the next major chance in an enthralling tie.
The home side won a penalty but debutant keeper Aaron Kiernan kept Glebe’s hopes of victory by saving from 12 yards.
The Ballibrigan side levelled with 10 minutes remaining, as Weldon swept home a fine team move from outside the area. In keeping with the nature of the back-and-forth tie both sides pushed for a winner and after Obhakhan forced a brilliant save from the home keeper, Lucan won a peno, which Chindea buried.
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