A fine hat-trick from striker Joe Richardson helped a youthful Hanging Heaton Reserves side to a resounding 7-0 success over Travellers Stanley Reserves in the Wakefield Sunday League’s Championship Three League Cup final.

It was the team’s first silverware and came in their debut season in open-age football.

The Stanley outfit suffered a jolt in the fourth minute when a long range effort by Bobby Pickles forced a parried save from goalkeeper Harry Embleton only for the loose ball to be pounced upon by the alert Richardson who fired into the roof of the net to open the scoring.

Lucas Ineson went close to doubling his side’s lead only to see his lob over the advancing keeper sail narrowly over.

Hanging Heaton Reserves with their first silverware in their first season in open-age football following a 7-0 win over Travellers Stanley Reserves in the Wakefield Sunday League Championship Three League Cup final.

placeholder image — Hanging Heaton Reserves with their first silverware in their first season in open-age football following a 7-0 win over Travellers Stanley Reserves in the Wakefield Sunday League Championship Three League Cup final.

The energetic Hanging Heaton side displayed some good all-round football, reflecting their togetherness from the U8s to the U16s before joining the open-age football this term.

Travellers battled tigerishly with both Mark Oakes and Bradley Whitaker asking questions of the solid rearguard of Nathan Wright, Brad Robinson, Matty Woodhead and Chris Littlewood. However, it was Heaton who doubled their lead in the 24th minute following good inter-play with a low piledriver from Callum Lister finding the target.

Freddie France and Owen Lambert, with the driving force of the experienced Darren Smith behind them, saw Travellers muster a brief purple patch only to fall further behind in the dying minutes of the first half when Nathan Wright and Callum Lister linked up swiftly before delivering a ball into the area that led to Richardson volleying home powerfully.

Travellers made a strong start to the second half and were unlucky to be denied by the foot of the post in the opening minute.

The winning Hanging Heaton captain with his side's goal scorers in their final against Travellers Stanley Reserves.

But at the other end in the 53rd minute another clinical finish saw Chris Littlewood score from the edge of the box to make it 4-0.

Twenty minutes from time a long clearance into the Travellers area forced keeper Embleton to charge off his line only to mis-kick due to a bobble, enabling substitute Jack Garside capitalise on the mistake.

Six minutes from time a surging run and low cross from the left-flank saw goal poacher Richardson apply a clinical finish to complete his hat-trick before Ineson claimed his brace to make it 7-0.

The man of the match award, sponsored by Pennines Trophies (Heckmondwike), was won by Hanging Heaton Reserves’ Richardson. The match balls were sponsored by Lightwaves Leisure Community Centre.