Roscommon's 43-year wait for a Championship win at Croke Park goes on but, in the circumstances, a draw to kickstart their All-Ireland SFC campaign will probably feel like one against the head for Davy Burke's men.
Roscommon put themselves in a strong position to claim a landmark win when they led by four points with half an hour remaining.
But having then been overtaken by a resurgent Dublin, and after falling two points behind, the visitors will have been grateful to escape with a share of the spoils.
Stoppage-time points from substitute Conor Cox and Donie Smith did the trick for Roscommon who have put themselves in a strong position to advance to the All-Ireland group stage.
They will host Sligo next Sunday in Round 2 before wrapping up their campaign against Kildare. Dublin, meanwhile, will play the Lilywhites at UPMC Nowlan Park next Saturday.
Both sides did have the opportunities to win this one. In the closing minutes, Dublin supporters in the 30,802 crowd winced as Dean Rock and Brian Fenton between them butchered three great chances for points.
Roscommon could have won it themselves too as Cox had a late, long-range free to win it that he sliced wide at the Davin End.
Dublin typically approached the encounter as favourites but within minutes it became clear that Roscommon weren't burdened by any inferiority complex.
And why would they have been? Burke's side came into the game off the back of nine games in a row against Division 1 opposition between the league and championship, winning five of those matches.
Dublin, meanwhile, had operated in Division 2 throughout spring before retaining the Leinster titles with wins over Division 4 and 2 teams respectively.
Even with all their experience it was a fresh challenge for the Sky Blues who trailed from the opening score of the game, Ciarán Lennon's third minute point, until the 48th minute.
Eddie Nolan was a late addition to the Roscommon line-up and started at midfield next to Enda Smith with Lennon, wearing No 9 pushed into the attack.
Michael Fitzsimons and Niall Scully were also drafted into the Dublin team at the 11th hour.
Fitzsimons picked up a black card for a challenge on Diarmuid Murtagh in the 18th minute. That left Dublin without two of the three players who had initially started in their full-back line as David Byrne, wearing heavy strapping on his knee, pulled up in the ninth minute and had to be replaced.
There was no Jack McCaffrey in the Dublin ranks either and they badly missed his dynamism in the half-back line as Roscommon largely set the terms of engagement.
The Rossies looked more like the All-Ireland hopefuls as they played a patient game of keep ball and burst through the openings in Dublin's defensive screen when they were eventually presented.
Still, nobody expected that it would take over five minutes of Roscommon passing and recycling before they would create the opening that led to Ciaráin Murtagh's point three minutes into stoppage-time, sending the underdogs in 0-09 to 0-05 clear at half-time.
Neither of the teams made any half-time changes though there was a significant switch - linesman Brendan Cawley taking over from Barry Cassidy as referee as he was unable to continue.
The teams traded a point apiece before Dublin finally got it going, John Small's bundled 45th-minute goal suddenly leaving them just a point behind at 1-06 to 0-10.
A series of points from placed balls kicked by Cormac Costello were Dublin's reward for sustained pressure on the Roscommon rearguard and they approached the 70th minute with a 1-11 to 0-12 lead.
They couldn't finish it off though and Rock's failure to convert an advanced mark before slipping deep into stoppage-time as he took a free, along with Fenton bizarrely fluffing what appeared an easy opportunity for a point, must have all energised Roscommon.
Cox's introduction was significant and he brought the gap down to a point with a converted free before being fouled himself for a free that Smith converted to dramatically level it up.
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Daire Newcombe, Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne; Brian Howard, John Small (1-00), Lee Gannon; Brian Fenton, James McCarthy; Niall Scully, Seán Bugler (0-02), Ciaran Kilkenny; Paul Mannion, Con O'Callaghan (0-02), Cormac Costello (0-07, 2f, 2 '45).
Subs: Cian Murphy for Byrne (9), Colm Basquel for Mannion (52), Lorcan O'Dell for Scully (60), Dean Rock for Kilkenny (63), Tom Lahiff for McCarthy (69).
Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Conor Hussey, Brian Stack, David Murray; Niall Daly (0-01), Eoin McCormack, Dylan Ruane; Eddie Nolan, Enda Smith (0-01); Ciaráin Murtagh (0-05, 0-02f), Ciarán Lennon (0-02), Cian McKeon; Diarmuid Murtagh (0-03, 2f), Donie Smith (0-01f), Ben O'Carroll.
Subs: Keith Doyle for Lennon (46), Conor Daly for Ruane (48), Cian Connolly for O'Carroll (51), Conor Cox (0-01f) for McKeon (64), Ruaidhrí Fallon for Nolan (64).
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry).
