Shelbourne 0 Derry C 3:STEPHEN McLAUGHLIN scored twice, his second a brilliant individual effort, to see Derry comfortably through to their first cup final in four years.

David McDaid maintained his scoring flush with the third goal – his fifth in the competition this season – as Derry advanced to set up a repeat of the 2006 final when they meet St Patrick’s Athletic at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, November 4th.

The win, their second on the spin at Tolka Park having won their in the league in at the end of August, was no more than Derry deserved as a disjointed Shelbourne rarely played with any fluency and can have no complaints.

Feeling they’d let Shelbourne off the hook in the second half of Sunday’s first game, Derry started the more purposefully, even though they failed to work Chris Bennion early on.

Despite their unusual reluctance to put a foot on the ball, it was Shelbourne’s long ball approach that carved the game’s first opening on 22 minutes.

The hard-working Philly Hughes’ initial cross from the left wasn’t dealt with and Paddy Kavanagh’s pull back was fired narrowly wide by the inrushing Kevin Dawson.

Struggling defensively, Derry almost conceded on the half hour. Goalkeeper Ger Doherty first had to show his agility to touch a David Cassidy corner out for another one on the opposite side.

Paddy McEleney was then well-placed on a post to clear Stephen Paisley’s goal-bound header off the line from another Cassidy delivery.

A ball over the top from Paisley minutes later had Derry in disarray at the back as Dawson drilled a shot off a post with the ball scrambled away for another Shelbourne corner.

A switch to a 4-4-2 with Paddy McEleney pushed up front with McDaid gave Derry added impetus in attack and it brought them the lead by the interval.

McEleney first relieved the pressure when bringing a save from Bennion before a surging run resulted in his smashing a left-foot shot off the bar in the 40th minute.

Four minutes later Derry took the crucial lead. Right-back Simon Madden showed his attacking quality, skipping between two defenders before his low cross was turned home by the alert McLaughlin.

After the break Shelbourne came out and pressed forward trying to chase the game only to be stunned by McLaughlin’s second goal on 62 minutes.

Racing down the line onto Stewart Greacen’s ball behind the out of position Sean Byrne, McLaughlin cut between two defenders before unleashing a left-foot shot that arrowed into the top corner of the net.

It was all over for Shelbourne six minutes later when McDaid got in behind onto Barry Molloy’s ball over the top to round Bennion and roll the ball home.

SHELBOURNE: Bennion; Ryan, Boyle, Paisley, S Byrne; Cassidy (C Byrne, 83 mins), Cronin, Dawson, Kavanagh; Hughes, P Byrne (Gorman, 67 mins).

DERRY CITY: Doherty; Madden, Greacen, S McEleney, McCaffrey; P McEleney, Molloy, Deery (Brolly, 86 mins), McLaughlin; McNamee (Higgins, 68 mins); McDaid.

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).