FAI CUP/St Patrick's Ath 4 Bohemians 3: The best advertisement the domestic game could have given itself before a live television audience brought St Patrick's Athletic to a first FAI Cup final in seven years in this thrilling replay last night.

Gifted an early lead, Eamonn Collins's side allowed Bohemians back into the match before coming back again to force extra-time and provide further evidence of their resilience to win the game and book their Lansdowne Road final date with Longford Town on October 26th.

Making two changes from Sunday, with Colin Hawkins and Fergal Harkin coming into the side, Bohemians started gingerly and found themselves a goal down after 80 seconds.

A moment's hesitancy by Hawkins resulted in the lead as he allowed the troublesome Gary McPhee to get in behind him onto Karim El Khebyr's ball forward.

Hawkins appeared to take down McPhee inside the area. Bohemians may have thought they had been given a reprieve as referee Paul McKeon gave a free-kick right on the edge of the box. Ultimately it proved just as beneficial to St Patrick's.

Keith Fahey curled the ball towards goal and Bohemians defender Ken Oman got a slight touch with his head to help the ball past his own goalkeeper Shay Kelly. That merely served to further bolster the confident start from St Patrick's, epitomised by the effervescent McPhee.

The big striker was narrowly wide with a dipping volley on eight minutes before having the confidence to shoot from 30 yards, an effort that just went over the top.

Scarcely had Bohemians time to draw breath when they were level courtesy of a stunning goal from their first attack on 14 minutes. Fergal Harkin's ball into the St Patrick's area was only half cleared and Thomas Heary, restored to central midfielder having played in central defence in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Dalymount, struck the ball first time with this right foot from 30 yards. The ball shot waist-high into the right corner of Chris Adamson's net for a brilliant equaliser.

St Patrick's almost regained the lead from their next attack within four minutes. Paul Osam set up defender Darragh Maguire whose toe-poke was parried away by Kelly.

Bohemians then got their first grip on the game to trouble the St Patrick's defence at will. Glen Crowe, superbly played in behind St Patrick's right-back Barry Prenderville by Dave Morrison, was perhaps a little casual with his finish as Adamson comfortably held his shot.

Man of the match Adamson had to work considerably harder within a minute, producing an excellent double save. Initially showing his agility to get down smartly to parry away Harkin's low drive, Adamson was quickly on his feet to push Morrison's follow-up out for a corner.

There was a no let-up to the helter-skelter action as St Patrick's forced their visitors into some frantic defending seven minutes before the interval. Maguire, again in attack, cut in from the left to get past Stephen Caffrey to cross but McPhee sliced his shot wide.

As in the first half, St Patrick's were first to press with Tony Bird allowed to get in a diving header from a Prenderville cross which Kelly held. But Bohemians came into it ever more dangerously as Heary had a fierce shot deflected out for a corner.

A stray pass from Fahey resulted in Crowe bursting forward to set up Morrison who shot agonisingly wide. Morrison then got in a header from Doyle's cross, the ball going inches wide.

Doyle went even closer to Adamson's right post with a direct free-kick as St Patrick's survived. But the one-time St Patrick's striker did put some substance to Bohemians' best period when racing through onto Hawkins' long free-kick to clip the ball over Adamson to put his side in front on 69 minutes.

Morrison could have put the seal on a Bohemians win five minutes later but, when played in by Crowe, he lifted his shot over the top.

It was a turning point as St Patrick's levelled within a three minutes. Osam's header from Maguire's cross was tipped over by Kelly.

But Fahey's corner wasn't so well dealt with and substitute Clive Delaney forced the ball home at the back post.

It stayed that way for 90 minutes, but the goals continued to flow in extra-time.

Hawkins was credited with getting the final touch to Bird's cross to put St Patrick's back in front within two minutes, before Fahey made it 4-2 from a brilliant free-kick seven minutes later.

Damien Lynch pulled a goal back with a diving header within a further minute, but St Patrick's, roared on by the gleeful majority, held out to win an engrossing match.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson; Prenderville (Delaney, 57 mins), Foley, Maguire, El Khebyr, Fahey, Byrne (Dunne, 69 mins), Osam, Mbabazi, Bird, McPhee (Freeman, 105 mins).

BOHEMIANS: Kelly; Lynch, Oman, Hawkins, Webb (Ward, 110 mins), Harkin, Heary, Caffrey, Morrison (Ryan, 90 mins), Doyle (Keegan, 90 mins), Crowe.

Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).