Sligo Rovers maintained their five-point lead at the top of the eircom League First Division thanks to a 1-1 draw with second placed Dublin City in front of a crowd of 2,500 at The Showgrounds.
Rovers fell behind in the 31st minute when Liam Burns was harshly penalised for a handball inside the box and David Freeman made no mistake from the spot.
The home side struck for a deserved equaliser in the first minute of the second half when Steve Feeney side-footed home from eight yards.
Both sides pressed for a winner but failed to find the breakthrough as Rovers remain in control going into the final weeks of the season.
A tense opening half returned little in the way of real goalmouth action as both sides cancelled each other out for long periods.
Dermot Keely's men took the lead in somewhat controversial circumstances when a through ball appeared to hit Rovers centre back Burns and Dublin referee Neil Doyle didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot.
However, Burns can feel hard done by as it was more a case of ball-to-hand rather than any significant intent on his part.
That was the only major incident of a largely uneventful first half, but the game gathered pace on the restart when Rovers equalised with their first attack of the half.
The ball came in from the left and following unsuccessful appeals for a penalty for a foul on Paul McTiernan, the alert Feeney stepped up to pick his spot beyond James Gallagher in the City goal to bring the home side level.
Thereafter, both sides created several decent chances without managing to find the breakthrough.
First up, City's David McGill broke through on the left in the 52nd minute but drove straight at Rovers 'keeper John O'Hara, who impressed throughout.
Eight minutes later Sligo striker Paul Brown volleyed wide from close range following a superb in-swinging cross from left back Tim McCann.
Rovers were let off the hook five minutes later when Freeman headed against a post from a left-wing corner.
McGill then tried his luck from distance when he narrowly missed the target with an ambitious chip from 35 yards, while Trevor Vaughan also had a decent chance ten minutes from time but O'Hara easily gathered to the relief of the large home crowd.
Rovers didn't seem content to settle for a draw and went close themselves minutes later when Brown was found unmarked inside the box by an excellent defence-splitting ball from Fahrudin Kudozovic. However, his well struck effort was well saved by Gallagher.
Rovers substitute Sean Flannery pulled a shot wide near the end as the game ended with a point apiece, but Sean Connor's men remain firmly in control of their promotion destiny with just eight games remaining.
The Vikings and Cobh Ramblers are five points adrift and have played one game more than the Bit O' Red who consolidate their position in the automatic promotion spot.
