Ryan Shiner stars as Saints make semi-finals of Tipperary Shield

Division 2 Shield Quarter-Final

St Nicholas 3 – 2 Cashel Town (AET 2 -2 FT)

This was an excellent game that went all the way to extra-time to find a winner, before the home side prevailed by the odd goal in five.

The Saints started well and thought they had scored an opener, but Aaron Ryan Shiner was denied by an excellent save in the fifth minute. Jason Sutton tested the Cashel ‘keeper shortly afterwards and again the net minder was up to the task.

And they were made pay for the misses when, ten minutes in, Cashel opened the scoring with a goal against the run of play. A throw-in saw the ball played back to Thomas O’Riordan and he fired in what looked like a cross, but it took a deflection and beat the goalie to nestle in the net.

It only took eight minutes for St Nicholas to get back on level terms when Ryan Shiner took on a pass from Sean Daly and slotted to the net with an excellent finish.

Just before half-time, Cashel regained the lead when Blake Doyle Carroll got in behind the home team’s defence to give his side a half time lead.

St Nicholas regrouped at half-time and were dominant in the second period, finally levelling the game from the penalty spot, with Declan Riordan scoring after Aaron Ryan Shiner was fouled in the area.

The game had no more goals, but in extra-time substitute Michael Maguire found Ryan Shiner with a sweet assist in the second period of extra-time, and that was enough to put them through to the semi-finals.