[2] Despite being one of the smaller sides in the county, the club survived, with scant success, for almost three decades.

In the national competition, however, the club had what proved to be its best run, reaching the third round.

[5] In the third, the club lost at Johnstone at the third time of asking; Kilbarchan had won the original tie 2–1,[6] but Johnstone successfully protested that the winning goal came from a deflection off an encroaching spectator, and that, when the ball went out of play, the Kilbarchan fans continually ran the clock down by kicking the ball further away.

However the Scottish FA ruled that the first match had been voided, so did not count towards the total.

The club did however earn its biggest competitive win in the first qualifying round in 1891–92, 10–0 over the 1st Argyll Rifle Volunteers.

[11] The club was similarly unsuccessful in the Renfrewshire competition, only twice winning two ties in any season.