Shels now favourites to reach final

Derry City 1 Shelbourne 1

Shelbourne stunned the Brandywell crowd after just five minutes with a goal that really should have been avoided. A deflected pass found its way into the path of David Cassidy on the left wing and the Shels captain burst forward and, confronted only by keeper Gerard Doherty, finished with aplomb.

Derry did try to step up a gear, but efforts from Rory Patterson, Stewart Greacen and Kevin Deery all failed to trouble Shels keeper Chris Bennion as the visitors held their lead at the break.

The home side had the ball into the net in the 48th minute when Greacen forced the ball over the line but referee Damien Hancock ruled the effort out for a foul on Bennion.

However, Derry deservedly equalised in the 57th minute.

Left-back Dermot McCaffrey floated a high ball over the Shels defence and David McDaid raced through and headed home via an upright.

In the 78th minute a superb shot on the volley from Simon Madden from 25 yards brought the best out of Bennion, tand Paul Byrne could have had the final say for Shels but he dragged his shot across the face of goal in injury-time.

DERRY CITY: Doherty; Madden, Greacen, S. McEleney, McCaffrey; P. McEleney, Deery, Molloy, McLaughlin (Farren, 84); McDaid (Brolly, 93), Patterson (McNamee, 70).

SHELBOURNE: Bennion; Ryan (Shortall, 95), Paisley, Boyle, S. Byrne; Kavanagh, Cronin, Dawson, Cassidy (C. Byrne, 77); P. Byrne, Hughes (Gorman, 61).

Referee: D. Hancock (Dublin).