The Blues go into the last four as Group Three winners following this last gasp victory over the Dubliners, who also make the grade as best performing runners-up.

Linfield started well with Jamie Tomelty and Mark McAllister both creating early chances, both of which were deflected to safety while, at the other end, Alan Blayney had to be sharp to keep out a Vinny Faherty snap shot.

Then, on 26 minutes, young Blues midfielder Marcus Kane sent the ball across the face of goal for the perfectly placed McAllister but, somehow, the Linfield striker hooked the ball over the bar from barely two yards out.

And they were almost punished for that miss sixty seconds later when Flaherty blazed the ball over from 12 yards after a Ryan Guy cross from the left had evaded the home defence.

Perhaps the best chance of the second half arrived with 15 minutes remaining when Peter Thompson headed a Jim Ervin right sided cross straight at 'keeper Gary Rogers but the normally deadly striker more than made up for it right at the end of normal time when he showed great composure to slot the ball home after Shane Guthrie's botched clearance from an Aidan O'Kane cross.