Derry City cruised into unchartered waters at a breezy Brandywell as Mark Farren hammered home a hat-trick to eliminate Linfield from the Setanta Cup.
With Glentoran defeating St Patrick's Athletc in Belfast, Alan McDonald's side travel to face Drogheda United while Derry host Cork City at the Brandywell.
Derry's electrifying pace and passing caused the 'Blues' no shortage of problems and while Linfield rarely threatened Gerard Doherty's goal throughout the game, the home side remained comfortably in control.
In the 16th minute, Damien Curran brought the best out of Derry’s Gerard Doherty with a snap shot from the edge of the area, the keeper alert when turning the ball around his post.
Farren broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when his back-flick, following Kevin Deery's curling low cross, fooled the Linfield defence and the ball trickled over the line from close range.
And as Derry continued to push forward Linfield keeper, Alan Mannus, pulled off a top drawer save to deny Billy Dennehy after Farren had pulled the ball back into his path in the 42nd minute.
The home side really should have killed the game off in the 52nd minute when Deery fed Dennehy but the winger blasted the ball recklessly wide of the target from the edge of the area.
Seven minutes later Linfield were saved again when Bailie produced a magnificent block to deny Sammy Morrow just minutes before a Clive Delaney header crashed off the underside of the Linfield crossbar.
However, the pressure finally reaped dividends in the 63rd minute and it was a magnificent Derry move which fashioned the goal.
Breaking from his own half, Niall McGinn sent Sammy Morrow scampering clear and his deep cross towards the back post was clinically volleyed home by Farren from the angle.
It was a fantastic goal, the clinical finish capping what had been a superb move.
And Farren had the last say six minutes from the end when Morrow again fed the ball through the Linfield defence before the striker brought it under control and drove it back across the face of goal from an acute angle.
Derry City – Doherty; McGlynn (Callaghan, 78), Delaney (Hargan, 89), McChrystal, Gray; McGinn, Molloy (Higgins, 86), Deery, Dennehy; Morrow, Farren.
Linfield – Mannus; Hagan (Lindsay, 70), Bailie, Murphy, Harkness; Garrett (Miskimmin, 58), Gault, Curran, O’Kane (McAreavey; 49) Ferguson, Munster.
Referee – Mr. A. Buttimer (Cork).
Derry City 3-0 Linfield
