Shelbourne mean to take cup home

The day started rather well for Derry City, with Smith wicks confirming that they'll continue as the club's main sponsor for the next three seasons. And things looked even brighter after some 20 minutes of the game, with the locals appearing to be comfortably the more likely to open the scoring.

In recent years, though, Shelbourne's runs without defeat in the FAI Cup tend to be about as long as major sponsorship deals, and with Stephen Geoghegan clearly intent on winning them this season's competition single-handed, it was the Dubliners who made sure of their place in this evening's semi-final draw.

Geoghegan, his league season ravaged by injury, had scored a goal in each of Shelbourne's previous cup outings this year, and, though he was scarcely seen early on in this game, when he finally stepped up to make a contribution it was to be another important one.

Richie Baker started the move which ended with the visitors taking the lead, but, when he was tripped, big brother Dessie switched flanks to take the free. The winger's journey took a while, and even then he could hardly be said to have hurried the kick, but still his floated cross to the near post caught the City defence badly off guard and Geoghegan arrived just ahead of team-mate Tony Sheridan to turn the ball home. Not a defender in sight.

City's policy on the day seemed to be only to allow the visiting strikers space when they were travelling together, for the second goal of the afternoon, five minutes into the second period, bore a considerable similarity to the first. Dessie Baker's cross was from the right this time, and from play, but once again the only man on Geoghegan's shoulder as he headed against the post was Sheridan. Last year's top scorer at Tolka Park then reacted more quickly than goalkeeper David Platt to the rebound, and although there was a hint of a foul in his persistence to force the ball home, referee Gerry Perry was adamant that the goal should stand.

Before Shelbourne took the lead, City's striker Liam Coyle had looked to be the most dangerous player on the pitch. Three times through the opening 20 minutes he threatened to unlock Shelbourne's defence. The best of the chances he created, when Eddie McCallion sent him clear with a quick free and Paul Doolin was slow to close him down, should have been finished inside the sixyard box by Michael McHugh whose hesitation allowed a defender to get the block in.

After the opener, too, there was a steady stream of decent chances for the home side, and late on Shelbourne rode their luck more than once, most notably when Marty McCann volleyed against the crossbar when scoring looked easier.

But Dermot Keely was entitled afterwards to point to his side's outstanding defensive record over the last month or so (this was their fifth win in a row and their fifth clean sheet) as the key to their success.

"Good habits," the visiting boss announced, "don't come naturally, they have to be learned, and that's what we've done over the last while."

Some of the arrogance, he conceded too, had been knocked out of his side by a difficult first half to the campaign. "We realise now, though, that we don't have any divine right to win games and we've benefited from the lesson." In the later stages of this game it was certainly clear that there was a much harder edge to the team with their noses in front. Rarely was there a hint of vulnerability at the back, and throughout the side, from Dessie Baker, when charging down attempted defensive clearances, to Mick Neville as he swept the ball out of the paths of attacking players, there was an obvious willingness to chip in as required to see the team through.

Their reward is a fifth successive semi-final for last year's beaten finalists and, given the way the rest of the round went, installation as the favourites to lift the trophy again in May.

Derry City: Platt; McCallion, D Kelly, Hutton, Hargan; Doherty, Hegarty, Beckett, McCann; McHugh, Coyle. Subs: McCaul for McHugh (73 mins), M Kelly for McCallion (79 mins).

Shelbourne: Gough; Heery, Scully, McCarthy, D Geoghegan; D Baker, Campbell, Doolin, R Baker; S Geoghegan, Sheridan. Subs: Neville for D Geoghegan (54 mins), Fitzgerald for Campbell (73 mins).

Referee: G Perry (Dublin).