A cracking 95th-minute goal from Ben Whelehan earned Kilkenny City a dream Christmas present at Buckley Park yesterday when they won the south-east derby in the FAI Cup.

With the last seconds ticking away and a replay looking likely, Mark Revins and Damien Brennan's conjured a bit of magic on the right wing. The latter's deep cross was met by Whelehan, whose header from 18 yards hit the net.

Kilkenny went in front in the seventh minute. A quick ball over the top caught out the Waterford defence and Revins rammed home a left-footed shot. On 15 minutes Kilkenny should have doubled their lead. Philip Hughes beat two defenders, but after laying the ball off to Andrew Stewart, the latter stumbled with a goal at his mercy.

Waterford grabbed the initiative from the start of the new half and it took some serious defending by the home goalkeeper Gareth Byrne and Mark Andrews to keep them out.

The game erupted into life in injury time. Waterford equalised in the 92nd minute through Gary Dempsey, who hit the target from 25 yards. Within seconds, there was an ugly melee around midfield ending in the dismissal of Kilkenny's Philip Hughes and Waterford's Davy Walsh.

KILKENNY CITY: Byrne; Brennan, Rickard, Andrews, Mulcahy, Whelehan, Hughes, Rogers (O'Brien 67 mins), O'Connor (Mitchell, 79 mins) Revins, Stewart (Jordan, 55 mins).

Waterford: Binder; L O'Brien, Frost, Rea, Waters (Walsh, half-time), Breen, C O'Brien (Leahy, 82 mins), Fitzgerald, Wood, Bradley (Watson, half-time), Dempsey.

Referee: A Buttimer (CPRL).