Le Riche Cup upset as Sporting Academics beat Tower

Sporting Academics are in the Le Riche Cup semi-finals after coming from 2-0 down to beat Premiership side First Tower in a penalty shoot-out.

Accies scored twice in a minute midway through the second half, and looked the likelier side to get the winner in normal time.

It remained 2-2 after 90 minutes, and then 3-3 after extra-time.

But the Championship side kept their nerve to score all their spot kicks to come out 5-3 winners.

Despite their position at the bottom of the Premiership, Tower had looked totally at ease at half-time.

Their 2-0 lead came courtesy of goals from James Walsh and a Bradley Stratford free-kick.

But the tie changed dramatically within the space of three bizarre second half minutes.

We wanted to win it more than they did

Accies boss Tommy Kyle

First, Tower striker Jason Reynolds missed an open goal, which would have made it 3-0, and then moments later at the other end of the pitch Peter Gough inexplicably contrived to score an own-goal.

Within a minute, Ronan McGill had equalised with a shot from inside the box and after that Accies were the only side who looked likely to get the winner.

In extra-time Noel Kernan gave Accies a deserved lead, only for Jason Reynolds to head the equaliser for Tower.

But the Championship then dispatch all five tof their penalties to win 5-3 and claim a semi-final place which had looked unlikely at half time.

Accies boss Tommy Kyle thought his side were good value for the win.

"We played well - we had a good chat at half time and the guys realised they were not playing that well in the first half," he said.

"But in the end we deserved that I think," he added. "We wanted to win it more than they did. They lost a bit of heart and I think that was the difference.

In the other ties, St Ouen had a beat holders Jersey Scottish at home 3-2 while Portuguese Club, who scored twice in the the first three minutes at Trinity, eventually hung on to win 3-2.

Meanwhile cup favourites St Paul's made no mistake at St John winning 5-1.

The draw for the semi-finals of the Le Riche Cup will be made later in the season live on BBC Jersey.