Ten-man Sporting Fingal salvaged a replay against St. Patrick's Athletic through a stoppage-time Colm James penalty in an incident-packed FAI Ford Cup quarter-final tie at Morton Stadium.
First Division title contenders Fingal made their more illustrious opponents look ordinary with a two goals inside 18 minutes. However, Pats' stormed back to turn the game on its head with a blitz of three strikes during a ten-minute period before the interval.
A straight red card to Robbie Doyle two minutes from time only served to galvanise the home side, who were awarded a penalty in the second minutes of injury time following a trip by Joe O'Cearuill on substitute Daniel Corcoran.
Six minutes in, Doyle robbed O'Cearuill of possession 20 yards out and teed the ball up for his strike partner Hynes to smack a shot off the post.
Unluckily for stranded Saints 'keeper Barry Ryan, the ball flicked off the back of his legs and trickled across the goal-line.
Fingal were two goals to the good on 18 minutes when Philip Byrne rose unchallenged to meet Conan Byrne's left-wing corner and power past Ryan.
Hynes was inches away from getting a connection on Conan Byrne's cross after 34 minutes which was Fingal's last chance before the dramatic turnaround.
Mark Quigley reduced the arrears ten minutes before the break with a well-placed shot to the right of Steve Williams from the edge of the box.
Pats swept forward and were awarded a penalty after 42 minutes when Philip Byrne was adjudged to have handed in the area and Quigley grabbed his second from the spot.
Fingal sat deeper under pressure and were punished two minutes later as Gary Dempsey was given plenty of space on the right side of the area to steady himself before driving a low shot into the far corner.
The home side made a fist of it in the second half, going close to restoring parity on a couple of occasions.
Captain Paul Caffrey fired over with 53 minutes gone and Fiachra McArdle struck a low shot from the left 14 minutes later which Ryan was relieved to see veer past the post.
Their prospects of landing a replay on September 26th appeared to be dashed when Doyle, already booked, was given a straight red card by referee Dave McKeon for a rash foul of Mark Quigley.
But, at the death, they were given a lifeline and James coolly smashed the penalty high into the net.
Sporting Fingal: Williams; Tyrell, Ferguson, Philip Byrne, Gannon; C. Byrne (Corcoran 85), James, P. Caffrey (Crawford 83), McArdle (Morrisroe 67); Hynes, Doyle
St Patricks Ath: Barry Ryan; Lynch, O'Cearuill, Harris, Des Byrne; Guy, Bialek, Dempsey, Kirby; Quigley (Partridge 90), O'Neill (Fitzpatrick 72).
Referee: Dave McKeon (Dublin).
