A rousing 90 minutes in trying conditions failed to separate the sides who must meet again on Thursday to determine who goes through to the semi-finals.

And while that's something the 6,000 crowd may relish, both sides will feel they had enough chances to have booked their passage, with Shelbourne the more annoyed with themselves in that regard at the finish.

The wet, blustery conditions didn't help as both sides gave the ball away early on as they struggled to settle. In fact, the first real passing move of the match should have brought a goal on seven minutes.

Pat Fenlon and James Keddy combined to put the overlapping

Declan Geoghegan away down the left. Geoghegan's cross was perfection as he picked out Richie Foran with a low ball.

But Foran, fresh from his under-21 international debut in Cyprus last Friday, contrived to sidefoot wide across goal with his right foot.

If that miss was bad, Foran surpassed it two minutes later. A defensive blunder, when Rovers' Terry Palmer and Gareth Cronin stepped out, put a surprised Foran clean through on goal. Yet again, though, the finish was poor as he ran on only to slide the ball wide, this time with his left foot.

Rovers survived and gradually settled with the strong wind at their back. Their front two of Sean Francis and Tony Grant were a constant threat to the Shelbourne defence.

Ironically, Rovers first chance of the game came from a set-play on 32 minutes; a deep free-kick from inside his own half by Pascal Vaudequin skimming off the head of Geoghegan under Grant's pressure and Steve Williams had to pull off a sublime one-handed save to prevent what looked a certain goal in what was now an intriguing, full-blooded cup-tie.

Rovers comfortably led the corner count and almost scored from their fifth on 43 minutes. Palmer got forward and met Shane Robinson's corner. However, the header was cleared.

But it was a mere reprieve for Shelbourne as Rovers deservedly put some substance to their possession with a goal out of nothing a minute later.

Collecting a loose ball some 40 yards out, midfielder Pat Deans, anonymous prior to that, went past Davy Byrne and unleashed a wind-assisted, left-foot drive that screamed past a surprised Williams and into the the net for a spectacular goal.

With that wind at their backs from the start of the second-half, Shelbourne wasted no time squaring the game with an equaliser inside a minute of the restart.

A Richie Baker cross was only partially cleared. Pat Fenlon got to the loose ball and turned cleverly to drill in a shot that beat Horgan with the help of a slight deflection off a defender.

With the conditions worsening the match developed into a midfield battle. Rovers soaked up some pressure to create the next real chance on 78 minutes; Grant doing very well to get in a cross that substitute Derek Tracey volleyed wide on the turn.

Shelbourne upped the pressure again to finish much the stronger, but Rovers held out for Thursday's replay at the same venue.

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Scully, McCarthy, D Geoghegan; R Baker, Crawford, Fenlon, Keddy; Foran, D Baker. Subs: Byrne for Crawford (inj 28 mins).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Horgan; Vaudequin, Cronin, Palmer, Woods; Robinson, Colwell, Deans, Byrne; Francis, Grant. Subs: Tracey for Colwell (66 mins), Kenny for Robinson (80 mins), Cousins for Francis (83 mins).

Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).