O'Flaherty the difference as St Patrick's scent double

AS IF there hadn't been enough to play for in their previous three recent meetings, Bohemians knew for certain last night that the Harp Lager FAI Cup was their only chance of picking up a trophy this season.

However, the hosts turned in a jaded performance that cost them the match and left St Patrick's on course for the league and cup double. Ricky O Flaherty scored once in each half to ensure their place in the final.

Unlike last week's encounter in Inchicore, where a winner for either team would have represented an act of larceny, this time the margin was, if anything, slightly flattering to the losing club's showing on the night.

Like their previous two Cup encounters, this one started slowly, but having prodded each other around the centre of the pitch for the opening minutes it was St Patrick's who began to show the greater confidence going forward.

Willie Burke was first to bring Bohemians goalkeeper, Dave Henderson, into the action with a 12th minute cross that was well intercepted. The visitors were soon back on the attack.

The move originated with Liam Buckley on the left and after Paul Osam got to the byline to send in the cross, there was chaos in the centre and Ricky O'Flaherty headed home from the edge of the six-yard box.

For a while, it seemed that the newly-crowned League champions might advance their challenge for another piece of silverware with a second as Bohemians struggled to achieve any composure.

When they did, Dave Campbell and John McDonnell, at the heart of the St Patrick's defence, began to find themselves under scrutiny. They had reason to be grateful finishing in the 21st minute when the big midfielder was left clear to meet Donal Broughan's cross only to tamely direct his header at Gareth Byrne.

The error proved the briefest of reprieves, for the defence. however. Within three minutes they were left rooted to the spot while Derek Swan jigged around them before putting Tony Cousins clear for a side-footed goal from the middle of the area.

After the restart, there was a dramatic improvement in proceedings as the visitors pressed forward in search of a second.

First Henderson got down brilliantly to deny Buckley after he had met Eddie Gormley's cross. Then O'Flaherty was kept out by the crossbar after he had neatly slipped Mick Moody and let loose with his right foot from the edge of the area.

By now, however, Moody, the former Saint, was emerging as Bohemians' greatest liability and when Gormley found O Flaherty in the 58th minute, some 30 yards out, the Galwayman waltzed past his man once more and made no mistake as he calmly slipped the ball under Henderson from 18 yards.

"There was never much between the sides in any of our games this, season and it was the same tonight. It was very close and I'm glad that it was a piece of exquisite skill that won it in the end rather than a horrible mistake by someone," said Brian Kerr, the St Patrick's manager, afterwards.

Bohemians never seriously threatened to draw level again. Their cause was not helped by the fact that of the four players they had injury doubts about before the game, three - Broughan, O'Driscoll and, perhaps most disastrously, Best - hobbled off.

That was only part of the problem for Turlough O'Connor's men, however. As the game wore on, their opponents looked by far the better organised and quicker side. An 84th minute goal was disallowed when Osam was adjudged to have pushed before Noel Mernagh tapped home.

For Kerr, there was delight for the second time in five days as be had the pleasure of watching his side make a major breakthrough. This time they reached their first cup final in 16 years. The club will savour every minute of it.