Finn Harps were hit with a sucker punch in the 91st of their FAI Cup third round tie with Cobh Ramblers at Finn Park.
Kevin McHugh found the net for Harps
The Donegal side led throughout after veteran Kevin McHugh found the net after just seven minutes.
But a goal from John Meade in injury time left the small crowd at Finn Park stunned into silence.
Killea man McHugh had given Harps the perfect start when he saw Cobh keeper Shane Hallahan off his line and lobbed him with a delicate delivery from a tight angle.
It was the ideal opening and throughout the first half they could have extended their lead as both Mark Forker and Johnny Bonner both went close for Harps.
Cobh began to apply their own pressure towards the close of the half with Martin Deady forcing Ciaran Gallagher to turn the ball around his post.
Alan O’Flynn also should have scored when his stunning header beat everyone including the Harps ‘keeper but went just inches wide.
What should have been a signal to set alarm bells ringing for Harps, did the exact opposite.
The home side looked almost content to sit back on their slimmest of leading margins and invited Cobh on.
But the visitors seemed short in ideas in the last third of the field and created few chances despite gaining the lion’s share of the possession.
Roy Kenny almost snatched the equaliser in the 70th minute but his effort rolled wide.
Ciaran Coll was forced into a goal-line clearance as Harps put everything on the line with just three minutes left.
With 90 minutes having been played it looked like Hutton’s side had done enough to reach the quarter finals – the first time they would have done so in a decade.
But it wasn’t to be.
Davin O’Neill’s cross was whipped into the Harps boss and Meade managed to get a glancing header on it to make it 1-1.
It was a cruel way to give up a lead that had last more than 80 minutes but Harps have nothing to complain about.
Instead of pushing on they invited Cobh on and were punished in the cruelest of manners.
They now face a trip to Cobh on Monday evening and ironically another trip to the same venue for a league appearance the following weekend.
All of which certainly won’t be good for the Harps coffers but nothing a victory on Monday won’t make a little easier to take.
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; James Doherty, Thomas McMonagle (Josh Mailey 83), Keith Cowan, Ciaran Coll; Michael Funston, Pat McCann, Sean McGowan, Mark Forker, Johnny Bonner (Lee Toland 66); Kevin McHugh (Paul McVeigh 83).
Cobh Ramblers: Shane Brendan Frahill, John Meade, Sean O’Mahony (Owen Hastings 25), Anthony O’Donnell; Alan O’Flynn (Jonathan Spillane 66), Andrew Bhrandarker (Daniel Santry 68), Roy Kenny, Martin Deady; Kynan Rocks, Davin O’Neill.