Finn Harps certainly gave St Patrick's Athletic a fright along the way, but it will be the Dubliners who contest the FAI Cup semi-final after a narrow win in Ballybofey.
Tommy Lonergan struck an 85th minute winner as St Pat’s came from 1-0 down at the break to sneak a narrow victory. Sean O’Donnell had fired the home team in front only for Chris Forrester to level it up at the start of the second half.
After a tepid opening quarter, the match sprung into life with Harps edging in front on 22 minutes. Patrick Ferry and O’Donnell led a break sourced by a punched clearance from goalkeeper Rory Kelly.
Ferry drew the two defenders and slipped the ball to his left to O’Donnell, who was adjudged to have avoided straying offside and, as he entered the penalty area, slotted past Dean Lyness in the one-on-one situation.
Harps had managed to keep the Premier Division side relatively quiet, until a minute before the goal when Chris Forrester struck the inside of the hosts’ post with a shot from the edge of the penalty area.
But Harps’ lead was no fluke. Toward the end of the half, Lyness made three more saves - the most impressive of which was to get down to his left to get behind a flick from his teammate Joseph Redmond, who was under pressure from O’Donnell as Ryan Flood crossed.
St Pat’s were on terms on 48 minutes, when referee Rob Harvey awarded a penalty for a challenge by Séamas Keogh on Jake Mulraney at the back post, which Forrester cooly converted for 1-1.
From then on, it was Harps who were the ones pushing most, with a Flood shot flying over and then a Doherty one just wide, although neither goalkeeper was overly tested.
All that was left was the fantastic winner, when Lonergan, who cut in from the right and when faced with Kelly, opted to go high and it flew in for what proved to be the winner to send St Pat’s into the last four.
Finn Harps: Rory Kelly; Stephen Doherty, Jamie Watson, Matthew Makinson (Max Johnston 89), Séamas Keogh; Seán O’Donnell, Caoimhin Porter (Daniel Stokoe 60), Max Hutchison, Ryan Flood; Tony McNamee; Patrick Ferry (BJ Banda 60).
St Patrick’s Athletic: Dean Lyness; Anthony Breslin, Joseph Redmond, John-Alan McGrath, Ryan McLaughlin; Adam Murphy (Mark Doyle 70), Jamie Lennon, Christopher Forrester, Jason McClelland (Ben McCormack 70), Conor Carty (Thomas Lonergan 17), Jake Mulraney (Alex Nolan 89).
Ref: Robert Harvey
