Bohemians 8 Mayfield Utd 1:WITH THE difference in seasons having severely reduced the prospects of an upset, there's generally a good deal of talk from managers beforehand about their players at least enjoying the occasion.

Tadgh O’Neill could have been forgiven for believing prior to this game that his players might travel home again with fond memories of playing last year’s double winners. As things turned out, though, the southerners will probably prefer not to be reminded of the finale to their 2009 cup adventure.

Stephen Hurley will definitely want to forget all about his big night out. The left-sided midfielder goes down in the record books as putting the Dubliners ahead in the sixth minute although there was precious little he could do to avoid Dave Kiely’s attempted clearance clattering off him and in. For the next 40 minutes or so he battled hard to cope with what were almost exclusively defensive duties but he was then sent off for losing his cool and striking out after he had fouled Owen Heary and the Bohemians skipper then got a bit of his own back in the ensuing tangle.

For the last 20 minutes or so Bohemians were reduced to 10 men too when Gary Deegan limped off after helping to set up goal number six and the home side had already used their three subs.

In truth, the game was hopelessly one-sided and the margin of victory would have been even greater had it not been for some valiant goalkeeping from Peter Cuthbert, some determined last ditch defending from his centre backs and the rather carefree attitude adopted to finishing by the home side from the 26th minute when, already 3-0 up, Jason Byrne tried to square the ball for one of three waiting team-mates when really, he might easily have finished himself.

Byrne had already scored himself by that point with the striker getting the home side’s third with a close-range header after Anto Murphy had done well to get to the line before pulling the ball back to the edge of the six yard box. The midfielder got the second himself 22 minutes in when he turned home Graham Carey’s cross from the left.

Mayfield then managed to regroup for a spell but they couldn’t quite hold out to half time with Byrne adding number four – his 15th of the season – with a thundering strike to the top corner from 30 yards.

Reduced to 10 men and utterly beaten, Mayfield soldiered on but could do little to stem the tide. Glen Crowe, brought on for Byrne just before the break, got the fifth and seventh, Neale Fenn the sixth and Carey rounded things off a couple of minutes from time with a neat piece of work and finish.

Late on, there were a few moments for the visitors to savour, not least their consolation goal which came courtesy of a well taken penalty by their captain, Anthony Wolfe, after he had been clipped from behind by Paul Keegan. There was also a late appearance by Kristian Dennehy, a son of Mia.

For Pat Fenlon, linked with the Motherwell and Falkirk jobs over the past couple of days and not, it seems, in any great hurry to deter offers, it was the reaction to the St Patrick’s defeat he had wanted while for Mayfield, it was a wretched end to a long season.

And for the FAI, of course, it was further evidence that the timing of this competition has to be changed if the participation of non-league sides is to be of any value at all.

BOHEMIANS: Murphy; Heary, Shelley (Rossiter, 52 mins), Oman, Powell (S Byrne, 60 mins); Murphy, Keegan, Deegan, Carey; Fenn; Byrne (Crowe, 43 mins).

MAYFIELD UNITED: Cuthbert; Kiely, Brosnan, Wolfe, P Triggs; Meehan, (Cronin, 52 mins), Roche (O’Mahony, 67 mins), Ryan, Hurley; Byrnes (Dennehy, 78 mins), B Triggs.

Referee: D Hanney (Dublin).