Kilbarrack United 0 Finn Harps 1

Max Hutchison’s 23rd-minute goal was the difference at Greendale Road on Friday night as Finn Harps held off a strong challenge from Leinster Senior League outfit Kilbarrack Road to advance into the second round of the FAI Cup.

They certainly didn’t have it all their own way against dogged opponents in tricky weather conditions, but Dave Rogers’ charges ultimately got the job done and returned home to Ballybofey with the result they desired.

While the 10 outfield players that started Harps’ recent First Division win over Cobb Ramblers were once again named in the first 11, there was an alteration between the sticks.

Having rejoined the club in recent days – he had previously been part of the squad for the 2012 and 2013 seasons – Rory Kelly took over from Tim Hiemer as the last line of defence for the visitors. Even though this game was held on Kilbarrack’s splendid astro surface, a constant downpour of rain meant it took both teams a while to settle into the play.

Although Harps attacker Sean O’Donnell had a shot blocked by opposition defender Ryan Fitzsimons from a Max Hutchison pull-back on 13 minutes, Kilbarrack forward Jack Kelly pulled a shot agonisingly past the left-hand post at the opposite end moments later.

Yet Harps were slowly, but surely, finding their feet – Patrick Ferry was offering a threat in the final-third – and they eventually broke the deadlock just past the first-quarter. After he was picked out in a central position by O’Donnell, Hutchison unleashed a shot that was deflected into the bottom left-hand corner.

Harps looked set to push on from this point but, to their credit, Kilbarrack produced a strong response to this set-back on home soil. Despite losing Josh Keegan to injury on 24 minutes (regular captain Gavin Gaughran deputised for him off the bench), Kelly was close to grabbing an equaliser when he fired marginally off-target just shy of the half-hour mark.

The aforementioned Gaughran also headed over from a corner on the right-wing and while Harps took a slender lead into the interval, their spot in the next phase of the competition was far from certain just yet.

Kelly continued to keep the Harps defence on their toes and he once again went close to opening Kilbarrack’s account nine minutes after the resumption. Profiting from excellent approach work by front line partner Mark Townley, he produced a firm strike that agonisingly cleared the crossbar.

The travelling Harps faithful breathed a sigh of relief when Daniel Byrne couldn’t find the target from a Lewis Shelly set-piece delivery, though their side almost doubled the lead just past the hour. Hutchison knocked down a cross on the left-flank into the path of Stephen Doherty, but his subsequent header was comfortably stopped by Kilbarrack netminder Conor Ennis.

Ferry later fired wide off an enticing cross by Doherty, before Rory Kelly served up a reminder of his quality with an outstanding save from Townley off Shelly’s impressively-executed free-kick. Sensing that some fresh legs were needed, Rogers had introduced Daniel Stokoe and Billy Banda as a double substitution just before this incident.

Caoimhin Porter was also added to the mix in the closing stages as a determined Kilbarrack continued to ramp up the pressure on their League of Ireland counterparts. One of the strongest teams operating in the LSL, they once again forced Harps goalkeeper Kelly into action when Gaughran got his head to another delivery into the box.

Kilbarrack also had a penalty claim inside the final-quarter that ended up being a free-kick against them but with Semi Scott Wara, Daithi McCallion and Matthew Makinson leading the way in defence, Harps held out for a hard-earned win.

Kilbarrack United: Conor Ennis; Daniel Tobin, Josh Keegan, Daniel Byrne, Ryan Fitzsimons (Gavin Gaughran 24); Eoghan Hampson, Gavin Carroll; Lewis Shelly (Eamon Mulligan 74), Jack Kelly (Kian Cummins 74), Alex Cetenir; Mark Townley.

Finn Harps: Rory Kelly; Semi Scott Wara, Daithi McCallion, Matthew Makinson; Jamie Watson, Max Hutchison, Ryan Flood, Tony McNamee, Stephen Doherty (Caoimhin Porter 86); Sean O’Donnell (Daniel Stokoe 70), Patrick Ferry (Billy Banda 70).

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan.