WICKLOW ROVERS left it very, very late to book their place in the semi-finals of the Charlie Byrne Cup with an extra time victory over local rivals Wicklow Town.

Rovers took the lead through a stunning strike from John Connors in the 26th minute and that effort had looked set to win it for the hosts until one of the most bizarre goals of the season three minutes into second half injury time from goalkeeper Stephen Doyle, who scored from inside his own half, forced the game into extra time.

The following 20 minutes were as dull as the preceding 90 and just when it looked like a penalty shoot-out would be required to separate these two, Connors popped up to grab the winner and break Town's hearts.

Connors may not have even been on the pitch to bag his double had it not been for an early injury to Eddie Kelly, who was withdrawn in the 19th minute and it took Connors all of seven minutes to make his mark on the match.

The number 13 picked up possession all of 28 yards from goal and he looked up before lobbing Town goalkeeper Doyle with an audacious effort that even seemed to surprise the goalscorer.

It was a first half dominated by the hosts but despite their huge levels of possession they rarely troubled Doyle in the Town goal. He did have to pull off a smart save 10 minutes before the break though to deny Rovers striker Paddy Clarke. Clarke, who had taken a ball full in the upper thigh area earlier in the match, shrugged off the attentions of his man with ease before driving it in low from the edge of the area but Doyle got down quickly to turn the shot around the post.

And the lead could have been doubled from the resulting corner when Ronan Lally's inswinging flag kick was met firmly by James Quinn but the defender's effort flew inches wide of the post.

The second half wasn't much better than the first, although it did show Wicklow Town push the issue much more than they had before the break and youth sensation Trevor Doyle almost levelled matters in the 48th minute when he latched onto a ball over the top before helping it over the head of the outrushing Rovers keeper Anthony Scanlon but the ball didn't have the sufficient dip and dropped harmlessly over the crossbar.

John Connors then almost netted a second screamer in the 55th minute when he smashed the ball off the crossbar from 25 yards with Doyle rooted to the spot. Lally nodded in the rebound but referee Frank Crossadell cut his celebrations short when he informed the striker that he was offside.

Wicklow Rovers' Wayne Doyle almost extended his side's lead on 73 minutes when his curling effort from inside the penalty area was blocked before sailing inches wide of the far post and away for another corner kick.

Town then increased the pressure on Rovers' defence in the latter stages but failed to cause them any trouble and when Town's Niall Manning's cross into the box from a free kick was let bounce harmlessly out for a goal kick by Town's attackers, it summed up their afternoon and looked like sealing their exit from the competition at the quarter-final stage.

But nobody could have predicted what was coming next. With 92 minutes elapsed in the match, Town were awarded a free kick well inside their own half.

The message from the sideline was clear, Stephen Doyle was to lump it forward into the box. Doyle pumped it towards his attackers but it evaded Town's forwards. Rovers' defenders then left it for goalkeeper Anthony Scanlon who then came to claim the ball only to watch on red-faced as it bounced over his head to force extra time in the most spectacular of fashions.

The two fatigued sides seemed to be going through the motions in extra time but then with just two minutes remaining in the second period of extra time, Connors struck again.

Robin Kelly played in Cathal Moody down the right and the latter clipped in a cross that that Connors rose magnificently to loop his header beyond Doyle and into the back of the net.