He made his league debut in the opening game, against Wigan Athletic at Bloomfield Road on 19 August, and kept a clean sheet in a goalless draw.
It was in the latter that McIlhargey's save from Scotland international Graham Alexander's penalty, combined with Jason White's subsequent miss, sent the Seasiders into the new Division Two.
With Lee Martin and Mel Capleton selected as goalkeeper numbers one and two, the Scot traded the Blackpool seaside for that of nearby Morecambe in the summer of 1993 for the remaining decade of his playing career.
In the years leading up to his retirement, McIlhargey became the Shrimps' back-up goalkeeper but was rarely named on the substitutes' bench, with manager Jim Harvey preferring to have five outfield players to choose from.
He was named on the bench for both of Morecambe's Johnstone's Paints Trophy regional final matches during the 2007–08 season, due to first-choice goalkeeper Jalal being cup-tied.