St Patrick's Athletic - 3 Shamrock Rovers - 2 Davy Byrne scored a dramatic late winner as St Patrick's Athletic's resolve won this thrilling FAI Cup tie at Richmond Park.
As the match ticked into the 89th minute, Byrne, a 71st-minute substitute for Paul Osam, collected Keith Fahy's ball in from the right and he shot across Barry Ryan to see his effort trickle into the far corner of the net.
St Patrick's never gave up as Rovers twice game from behind to level with goals from Tony Grant and Trevor Molloy after Eamonn Collins's side had edged in front through Darragh Maguire and Tony Bird.
St Patrick's took the lead from one of their trademark set-pieces, before Rovers played their way back into the game to score a stunning equaliser following a flowing move.The dead-ball ability of Irish youth international Fahy caught the Rovers defence napping to almost score from a free-kick before Rovers goalkeeper Ryan held Paul Donnelly's speculative 30-yard shot.
Ryan was incensed as St Patrick's took the lead on 18 minutes as he felt he was impeded as Fahy's corner was floated over. Whether Ryan was fouled or not, Rovers have only themselves to blame for the goal as Maguire was left unmarked to head home.
Rovers reacted in the best possible way to play themselves back into it before half time. Two superbly worked chances went unrewarded before they deservedly equalised four minutes before the interval.
The touch and speed of thought of Molloy was a feature of Rovers' attacking play and he worked an opening for Stephen Grant with Chris Adamson having to make a very brave stop.
Rovers got in behind St Patrick's again with Shane Robinson's cross picking out Molloy. This time it was Barry Prenderville who put his body in the way to block the striker's shot out for a corner.
Rovers got back into the match with a superblyexecuted goal. Robinson worked a one-two down the right with Molloy to whip over a great cross and Tony Grant powered a header past Adamson.
St Patrick's punished a stray pass from Alan Reynolds to regain the lead on 52 minutes. David Freeman put Bird through on goal and his shot dipped over Ryan having taken a significant deflection off Terry Palmer.
But Liam Buckley's side stuck to their principles to grab a second equaliser seven minutes later. James Keddy got in a cross at the second attempt and Molloy headed home at the back post.
Both sides had chances to win it in the last 10 minutes. Ryan parried Freeman's close-range shot out for a corner and Keddy curled a free-kick over the St Patrick's wall only to see it come back off a post with Molloy heading the rebound over the crossbar.
Bird might still have won it for St Patrick's but once more Ryan made a crucial save at a post to hold the striker's shot before Byrne deprived us of a replay with his late winner.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson; Prenderville, Foley, Maguire, El Khebyr; Fahy, Donnelly, Osam (Byrne, 71 mins), Mbabazi; Bird, Freeman (Harris, 90 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Ryan; Gough, Palmer, Byrne, Keddy; Robinson, Colwell, Reynolds, S Grant; Molloy, A Grant.
Referee: A Kelly (Cork).
