Tipperary Soccer: Cashel pip Clonmel Town in FAI Youths Cup thriller

FAI Youths Cup, 1st Round

Clonmel Town 2 – 3 Cashel Town

Cashel Town continued their recent good run of form in youths football when they travelled to Clonmel and knocked the home side out of this season’s FAI Youths Cup on Saturday last.

The visitors started the game much brighter, moving the ball around the pitch with neat passing, forcing the hosts to chase shadows for much of the opening part of the game. In the ninth minute Cashel finally hot the front when Ciaran Byrne rose highest to head home a pin point free kick.

They continued to dominate possession but the home side were starting to make chances of their own and Alex Lawless and Monsur Emibata both tested the visiting keeper. Emibiata finally looked like he’d created a cast iron opportunity to get a leveller when he won a penalty kick, but the Cashel United keeper who was in inspired form got down well to save.

To rub salt in the wounds of that miss, the away side immediately attacked downfield, won a corner kick and Blake Doyle-Carroll’s head made no mistake to put his side 2-0 up, a lead they took to the break.

The home side came out in the second half much hungrier, and took control of the game, pulling a goal back ten minutes in when Alex Lawless forced the Cashel net minder into a mistake and slotted home from close in.

Shortly afterwards, Emibiata who was causing problems all game taken down again for a second penalty, and this time Lawless made no mistake from the spot to level the game.

With the tie now in the melting pot, both sides had chances to win in normal time, but were unable to convert, sending the game to an extra 20 minutes. Extra time saw them slug it out but in the dying seconds when the penalty shootout was looking likely, the visitors fashioned one last chance from a free kick and a glancing header by Niall Hallissey was enough to seal the win at that late stage of the game.

It was a heartache for the hosts who fought hard and played some good football but it just wasn’t to be.