Stephen Kenny's first visit to Hampden Park with Dunfermline marks the continuation of a remarkable trend. The Dubliner will tomorrow contest a national cup semi-final for the eighth successive season as a manager. Not bad for someone who, at 35 years, is still within the first flush of youth in coaching terms.

The latter stages of the FAI Cup became a personal fiefdom of Kenny's when working in his homeland. Matching that success in the Tennent's Scottish Cup may be a hugely challenging task, but at least he is unlikely to falter through inexperience when dealing with the stresses and strains of tomorrow's meeting with Hibernian.

When Kenny dragged little Longford Town into the last four of the FAI Cup in 2000-01, it helped confirm his arrival on the Irish management scene. A celebrated victory over Waterford took them into the final, where Longford lost against Bohemians. Even so, Kenny's work was enough to convince his conquerors that he was their man to replace Roddy Collins later in the same year.

He made it back to the FAI Cup final with Bohemians at the first time of asking, but again ended up on the losing side as Dundalk departed with the trophy. The switch to summer football in Ireland then juggled the shape of the season, yet Kenny remained consistent in the cup. He was again a semi-finalist in 2002 and 2003 before being rashly sacked by the Dublin club for dropping to third place in the Eircom League.

His decision to join Derry City delivered more of the same. Defeated in the last four of the FAI Cup in 2004 and 2005, the last time he lost a domestic cup tie, Kenny departed Derry on a high by at last lifting the trophy he had been seeking since 2001.

A 5-0 thrashing of Sligo Rovers ended his four-year run of semi-final disappointment, before St Patrick's Athletic were overcome 4-3 after extra-time in an epic final at Lansdowne Road last December.

Kenny officially returned to the Derry dug-out as a "consultant" for that match, having already taken over at Dunfermline a fortnight before. Yet there was no doubt whom the Derry supporters credited for the success.

The Irish League Cup had already been won by the club for the second consecutive season, while UEFA Cup wins over IFK Gothenburg and Gretna further gilded Kenny's record in knock-out competitions. Perhaps that places into context how he was able to rouse Dunfermline from their dismal league form to defeat Rangers, Hearts and Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup.

As Dunfermline aim to return to Hampden for the final on May 26, Kenny's old team are floundering. Derry were pipped on goal difference for the league title by Shelbourne last season but, prior to last night's visit to Waterford, had lost three of their first five matches under new manager Pat Fenlon.

A 4-1 home defeat to Cork City on Monday brought howls of protest from fans used to enjoying positive outcomes during Kenny's stint at The Brandywell.

Fenlon announced himself "disgusted and embarrassed" by that display from a squad which has lost only David Forde, the goalkeeper who joined Cardiff City, from the mainstays of Kenny's group. That Forde's replacement, Old Tidman, was culpable in three of the four goals conceded has hardly helped Fenlon win over the fans.

Kenny remains esteemed within their happy memories of past cup runs. Dunfermline hope, come tomorrow night, he will seem equally hard to replace at East End Park.