Tony Grant was the telling difference as Shamrock Rovers ended Shelbourne's six-year affair with the semi-finals of the FAI Cup to knock out the holders with a three-goal blitz inside thirteen second-half minutes.

Having been second best in Monday's first game, Rovers showed no inferiority complex before a similar crowd of some 6,000 at Tolka Park last night.

Damien Richardson's side took the game to the double winners. They had little to show for their efforts at the break, however, and had to survive a scare before Grant scored twice inside four minutes with Billy Woods adding a sublime third to end the game as a contest with half-an-hour or so to go.

Rovers, technically at home, started as if they were but failed to create a chance from four corners inside the opening six minutes.

With two enforced changes from Monday, Shelbourne looked less secure at the back in the absence of their suspended captain Pat Scully as they struggled to stem the Rovers' early pressure.

Sean Francis almost punished that uncertainty on 15 minutes when getting in a clean header onto a Woods cross with Steve Williams forced into the first save of the game.

Shelbourne sporadically relieved the pressure with effective counterattacks and, despite their possession, Rovers were struggling to get in behind the Shelbourne defence.

Another counterattack almost punished some sloppy defending on 31 minutes as the game began to open up a bit more.

Dessie Baker whipped over an excellent cross which appeared to be falling for Foran, but Shane Robinson just nicked the ball off the striker's toe.

Two minutes later Rovers should have been ahead. Woods swung their seventh corner of the match to the back post where defender Terry Palmer arrived to head the ball off a post.

The danger remained for Shelbourne as the ball fell into the path the unmarked Robinson, but the young midfielder drilled his shot wide when it should have been on target.

Shelbourne had their best spell immediately on the resumption.

Richie Baker slid a shot wide while Davy Byrne had a shot cleared off the line by Pat Deans on 49 minutes.

That was as good as it got for Shelbourne, however, as Grant delivered his first blow just seconds later, spectacularly hooking the ball home from Brian Byrne's cross.

Four minutes later, the Rovers number 10 was there again, rising superbly above the challenge of Tony McCarthy to head home Pascal Vaudequin's excellently flighted free-kick.

The killer goal arrived on 63 minutes, undoubtedly the score of the game.

Left back Woods found the top corner with a terrific right-foot drive from 30 yards as Rovers revelled in their biggest win of the season.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Horgan; Vaudequin, Palmer, Deans, Woods; Robinson, Tracey, Colwell, Byrne; Francis, Grant. Subs: Cousins for Grant (71 mins), Kavanagh for Tracey (89), Stewart for Deans (90).

SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, McCarthy, John, D Geoghegan; R Baker, Doolin, Fenlon, Keddy; D Baker, Foran. Subs: S Geoghegan for R Baker (64), Hutchison for D Geoghegan (82).

Referee: J Feighery (Dublin)