It came so close to being one of those nights. One of the great ones. A marvellously competitive game between two sides desperate to win and no hard luck stories.

Instead, the Shelbourne players came off the pitch last night with a bitter taste in their mouths knowing - as everybody in the 9,400 attendance must have known - that the character and bravery they had displayed in a frantic 90-minute contest deserved better. Now they must make sure in the second leg that it wasn't all for nought.

Despite the result, the achievement of the Dubliners last night was considerable. Against a strong Scottish side they ended this season's run by National League clubs of 732 minutes without a goal in European competition with a spectacular early strike by Mark Rutherford and played for almost an hour as if their lives depended on maintaining the advantage.

Then, after conceding a penalty, they dug ferociously in search of a draw, but were to be cruelly deprived as Pat Nevin found Paul Wright inside the box in the third minute of injury time and the 30-year-old striker slipped the ball low past Alan Gough into the net for the winner.

"I can't tell you how sick I am," said Damien Richardson seconds later when the Ukrainian referee had finally called a halt to the game. "It was a stupid penalty to give away and we should have cut the ball out for the second. The only consolation is that we would have needed to win 1-0 in Dublin if it had been a draw and we still need to do that now. Overall, it was a terrific performance."

The nature of the contest was, to some extent, to have been expected with Richardson making it clear beforehand that he has not spent his time at Tolka Park constructing the sort of team that clinically kills off a game away from home.

Nevertheless, the speed and determination with which they took the game to their hosts surprised everybody, not least Bobby Williamson's players who found themselves harried while in possession in every area of the pitch.

It was end to end stuff early on with Kilmarnock's wide men, particularly Alex Burke down the left, causing the Dubliners some problems. Superb first half displays by Pat Scully and Declan Geoghegan, as well as the tireless running of lone frontman Dessie Baker, ensured the danger was far from exclusively at Gough's end of the pitch.

Gough, who also had an outstanding evening, was called into action during that opening phase but it was his opposite number, Dragoje Lekovic, who had to pick the ball out of the net in the 12th minute when Baker's corner was headed away only as far as the edge of the area and Rutherford met it with an unstoppable left-footed drive. Kilmarnock quickly set about trying to erase the deficit with Wright instrumental in setting up many of their attacks and Burke proving far too quick for right fullback Dave Smith. The 21-year-old was one of several Shelbourne players who might have been booked during the remainder the half for what might politely be described as robust challenges.

But, while he and his fellow defenders were having to battle at one end, Baker - who at one point got clean through on Lekovic but then shot straight at him - backed up from midfield by Tony Sheridan and Rutherford, were causing the Scots' back four a few problems of their own.

After the break the pressure of the home fans' frustration seemed to be telling on Williamson's players. All it took, though, was a neat touch and a moment of madness to put them back into the game with Burke providing the former as he stepped outside Scully and into the box before Dave Campbell rushed in to cover only and succeeded in sweeping the legs from under the 19-year-old.

Wright drove the resulting penalty into the left hand corner and Kilmarnock, for the first time, could sense a route to victory. For all their possession over the closing half hour, however, they found it virtually impossible to break down a defence now bolstered by the arrival of Tony McCarthy.

When, within 60 seconds of the end of normal time, Nevin fed Wright and the former QPR player's sidefooted shot rolled across the face of the goal and off the right-hand post their chance seemed to have passed. However, the referee allowed enough time at the end of a virtually stoppage-free second period for the same two players to have a second bite of the cherry and they were to take full advantage of his generosity.

Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson was a relieved man afterwards.

The former rangers striker admitted he thought Rugby Park's reunion with European football was going to turn sour after Birmingham City discard Mark Rutherford had given Shelbourne a shock lead.

"It was a great strike and I thought it was going to be one of those nights."

"They were very well organised but I knew how they would play with just the one up front and that's how it shaped up.

"But we worked hard, we created chances, and I'm just delighted we finally got our reward after the effort we put in.

"It would have been dodgy going there at 1-1 but now it's up to them to come out and attack us and hopefully we can catch them out."

Shelbourne boss Damien Richardson insisted his players could still pull off an upset in the second leg despite their initial despondency over the late winner.

Kilmarnock: Lekovic; MacPherson, McGowne, Montgomerie, Baker; Mitchell, Findlay, Reilly, Burke; McIntyre, Wright. Subs: Vareille for McIntyre (57 mins), Nevin for Mitchell (58 mins).

Shelbourne: Gough; Smith, Scully, Neville, Geoghegan; Vaudequin, Fenlon, Campbell, Rutherford; Sheridan; Baker. Sub: McCarthy for Neville (66 mins), Costello for Vaudequin (80 mins), S Geoghegan for Baker (82 mins). Referee: V Melnichuk (Ukraine).