FAI Cup Second round/ Shelbourne 0 Cork City 1: Clashes between these two clubs had produced many highlights of recent league seasons before Shelbourne's financial implosion over the course of last year ended, for the moment at least, one of the modern Irish game's most entertaining rivalries.

A year ago this pair against each other in the cup would have been viewed as something of a treat with neutrals savouring a showdown between two potential cup winners.

It's just one small measure of how far Shelbourne have fallen that nobody, not even the Dublin club's most devoted fans, regarded last night's encounter as much more than a welcome but brief distraction of what has turned out to be a decidedly tough period of financial readjustment, and a first division campaign played out by a team assembled in a matter of days.

City, as it happened, had the better of the two clubs' three league encounters last season with Damien Richardson's side winning twice at Turner's Cross and coming away from Drumcondra with a draw. That, though, was against an entirely different Shelbourne.

Not one of the players that featured for the Dubliners last night figured in any of those games and most were struggling to get a look in at the likes of Bray and UCD.

If a glance at their respective ages didn't do it, then the team's progress, or lack of it, in the league so far has certainly highlighted the scale of their inexperience with just two wins from 13 outings. True, they have conceded three just once, against a strong Dundalk side, but then they did have goalkeeper Tony O'Dowd and centre back John Brophy for that game. Both were missing last night though injury along with Jim Crawford and Brophy's defensive partner, Aidan Collins. None of it was ideal against a side of City's quality.

The visitors, though, have hardly been at their best, winning just one of their last four in the league and suffering defeats at Sligo and Shamrock Rovers that have left them nine points adrift in the title race.

If Shelbourne could just make a strong start, then, there seemed some chance that they might frustrate their opponents and then start to poke and prod at a defence that has managed just one clean sheet in its last outings.

It was a nice thought but one looked rather fanciful after Conor Rafferty had conceded a penalty just seven minutes in for a clumsy trip on Roy O'Donovan and the striker picked himself up to rather cheekily sidefoot home from the spot for his 13th goal of the season.

After that the youngsters, guided from the dugout by Dermot Keely in his own rather inimitable fashion, did manage to move the ball about well at times but were rarely composed or strong enough under pressure to make the most of the openings they created.

A few tough tackles did provoke a reaction from the City players and Richardson felt obliged to replace Joe Gamble, booked in the 24th minute for a foul on James Chambers, after half an hour rather than risk the midfielder being sent off. A bigger problem was some over zealous refereeing by Richie Winter, which more than once deprived one side or the other of a decent advantage.

Ultimately, though, there could be no complaints about the penalty nor the result for Shelbourne, predictably enough, just weren't good enough. Mark Leech managed what was probably their only real shot on target just five minutes in and their best attacking move ended with Kieran Harte sending a hurried shot low and wide.

Cork were hardly impressive but they did do enough to stay on top as the game wore on, weathering a couple of spells of pressure and persistently threatening to catch their hosts at the other end. O'Donovan, in particular, came close to grabbing a delightful second midway through the second period after he and Darren Murphy skipped past a couple of defenders each.

James Hussey, a capable deputy for O'Dowd, did well to save them and also when Liam Kearney aimed for the bottom left corner. In the end the solitary goal was enough to reflect the gap between the teams on the pitch. Off it, the chasm is a good deal wider.

SHELBOURNE: Hussey; O'Reilly, Gartland, Rafferty, McEniff; Harte (Doran, 86 mins), Murphy, Chambers, Lacey; Leech, Walsh.

CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Kelly, Murray, Ryan; Woods, Gamble (O'Brien, 31 mins), Murphy, Kearney; O'Flynn, O'Donovan.

Referee: R Winter(Dublin).