It seemed destined not to be Shamrock Rovers' night. They had a player sent-off, which resulted in a minor pitch invasion, and conceded two sloppy goals from a match they dominated from the start only to have to settle for a point.
The half-time scoreline of 1-0 to Finn Harps was deception personified. The visitors hadn't one effort on target save for the goal after 11 minutes which came after a double piece of bad luck on Rovers' goalkeeper, Robbie Horgan.
Horgan needed little reminding that it was Friday the 13th, and that there was a full moon in the sky, as he came to meet an over-hit through ball from James Mulligan. He initially tripped, but appeared to have recovered only for the ball to take an unexpectedly firm bounce to elude him and present Davy Dowling with the simple task of shooting into the unguarded net.
It was an extremely harsh way for Rovers to fall behind as they otherwise dominated the half and, but for the brilliance of their onetime goalkeeper, Jody Byrne, would have been several goals to the good.
Byrne made three excellent stops, two from Marc Kenny free-kicks, before the best of them saw him parry away a powerful volley from Brian Morrisroe.
When he couldn't get to another terrific 25-yard half-volley from Mark O'Neill three minutes before the interval, the butt of his right-hand post came to his rescue to keep the ball out.
Rovers maintained their composure and momentum into the second-half and deservedly drew level within three minutes: Kenny's low corner having sufficient curl on it to evade everyone and end up in the net.
The game then threaten to turn ugly after the somewhat harsh sending off of O'Neill by an overzealous referee, Aiden O'Regan, in the 64th minute.
O'Neill appeared to slap Finn Harps full-back Jonathan Minnock on the back off the head as Minnock used his elbows to shield the ball and the previously un-cautioned O'Neill was red-carded right in front of the most vocal Rovers supporters.
That resulted in several irate fans invading the pitch and coins and a beer cans being thrown before stewarts quickly restored order.
If anything, the sending-off lifted Rovers who went in front 11 minutes later. Byrne could only parry a close range shot from Tony Cousins and Morrisroe was on hand to shoot home the rebound.
But it wasn't to be Rovers' night as Finn Harps salvaged a scarcely deserved point nine minutes from time when Jonathan Speak bundled the ball into the net after Dowling had flicked on Gauld's corner.
Shamrock Rovers: Horgan; Britton, Purdy, Colwell, Brazil, Tracey; Kenny, O'Neill, Morrisroe; Cousins, Stokes. Sub: Francis for Stokes (71 mins).
Finn Harps: Byrne; Gauld, Boyle, Bradley, Minnock; McGrenaghan, O'Brien, T. Callaghan, McGettigan; Dowling, Mulligan. Subs: Speak for Mulligan (30 mins), Cullen for McGrenaghan (79 mins), Scanlon for Bradley (89 mins).
Referee: A O'Regan (Cork).
