Waterford United booked their place in the EA Sports Cup semi-final with an impressive 2-1 victory over Premier League Shamrock Rovers.
In an exciting encounter, chances were traded at either end.
Willie John Kiely almost unwittingly opened the scoring on seven minutes when Barry Ryan's clearance cannoned off him, but wide of the far post.
Both sides tested the keepers, with Ollie Cahill and John Kearney forcing good saves at either end, before United took the lead on 42 minutes.
Kiely raced onto Alan Carey's superb ball down the right channel, outpacing the Rovers defence, and thumping home past Barry Murphy from 12 yards.
But the lead didn't last long, and Dessie Baker replied on the stroke of half-time, firing home unmarked after Stephen Bradley's deep free kick was poorly dealt with.
Rovers came out of the break firing on all cylinders, and Sean O'Connor's header came crashing back off the crossbar just four minutes after the restart.
However the home side weathered the storm and John Kearney came up with a worthy winner on 59 minutes, arrowing a 20-yard free kick to the top left corner after Darragh Maguire had pulled down Graham Cummins.
United's defence held up well to the Rovers attack - now boosted by Gary Twigg and Padraig Amond - and restricted the visitors to just one chance right at the death, when Amond crossed for O'Connor for fire inches wide of the far post.
Waterford United: Devine; Carey, Browne, Murray, Long; Dunphy (McCarthy 88), Fitzgerald, Kearney, Grincell; Cummins, Kiely (Waters 75) - subs: Burns, P Carey, Mulcahy
Shamrock Rovers: Murphy; Flynn, Maguire, Price (Amond 75), Cahill; Doyle (Cameron 56), Rice, Bradley, O’Connor; Baker, Purcell (Twigg 68) - subs: Coleman, Treacy
