LIMERICK headed for home last evening, cursing the injustice of the system as much a their own frailties in defence at the end of one of the most absorbing Harp Lager FAI Cup ties of modern years at Tolka Park.

Three times in the course of the opening 90 minutes the visitors led and three times, Rovers, driven more by fear than finesse, clawed their way back to equality, on the last occasion with only two minutes of normal time remaining.

Ordinarily, it would have been" enough to earn them a replay on home territory at Rathbane. This season, however, the FAI, in their wisdom decreed that extra time should be played in the event of an inconclusive result. As a result heavily fatigued limbs were made to endure the hardship of an additional 30 minutes play.

This time it was Rovers who made the running, leading 4-3 early on, losing it to a piece of raw opportunism by Anthony Tobin in the 105th minute before Lee Williams took his place in Rovers folklore with the fifth goal, which killed off brave but brittle challengers, nine minutes from the end.

Even then, however, Limerick were not quite done and with timed almost up Paul Newe saw a looping header land on top of the crossbar and bounce over.

Limerick were that close to a reprieve on a day when customary values in defence simply didn't apply. Billy Kinnane, their manager, was not amused by the final twist in a cruel plot for his players.

"We played with a lot of heart and not a little skill, but were out of the Cup because of a stupid decision made by somebody in the FAI," he said.

"When you lead on three separate occasions, playing away from home, you deserve the chance of winning the tie in front of your own support".

That's only just, but because of, the FAI's haste to get it over an one with at the first time of we re now out of the competition Pat Byrne, who suffered more in victory than many a manager in abject defeat, was still able to find enough breath to berate careless defenders for one last time.

"Some of the mistakes we made at the back were crazy and with time running out I honestly thought we were gone . . . beaten ... out of the Cup," he said.

"Credit our players with a lot of determination, but the fact is the performances like this, exciting as was, will simply not be good enough to win the trophy. We've simply g to strengthen the team - and we will."

It was, by any standard, a remarkable game, shorn of true quality by some appalling defence by both teams. Yet it was sufficiently riveting to have played to a full house instead of the disappointing crowd it attracted.

Rovers, incredibly, started off with Pat Fenlon at left back and we're a goal down before Byrne, acknowledging the error of his ways, jettisoned John Toal and, by bringing in Pat Dowling at full back, was able to return Pat Fenlon to more familiar surroundings in midfield.

He subsequently played well without ever presiding with his old authority and on the day, the bigger contributions came from Derek Tracey and Tony Cousins.

Tracey, now the senior member of the team in terms of service, scored twice in addition to setting up the chance for Cousins to tie the scores at 3-3 at a stage when at least some of the faithful were already congregating at the gates, looking for the quick exit.

No less than Paul Whelan and Gino Brazil, at the other end of the ground, and Limerick's Dave Connell and Ray O'Halloran were prone to some alarming mistakes. It enabled Tracey to equalise after Howie King had put Limerick ahead in the 11th minute and, again, it was Connell's foul on Fenlon which gave the midfielder the chance of levelling from the penalty spot after another well taken Limerick goal by Gareth Ryan.

Few played better on the day than Limerick's Paul Carr and he illustrated the point by restoring their lead in the 75 minute, an advantage which lasted until Cousins eluded, O'Halloran's tackle in the 88th minute to take the game into extra time.

Tracey's second goal, coming at the end of an exquisite move involving Fenlon and a highly effective replacement, Sean Francis, was cancelled by Tobin, only for Williams to, move centre stage with the winner from another fine cross by Francis.