A stunning 77th minute free kick from Ciaran Behan saw UCD deny Dundalk an opening day victory at Oriel Park.
Despite seeing his side miss a penalty 10 minutes earlier, Stephen O'Donnell’s side looked to be on course for victory when John Martin fired them in front in the first half.
However Behan, who 48 hours earlier had helped the Students to Collingwood Cup success in Larne with a double in the 3-2 final win over UL, stunned the home crowd with a spectacular equaliser 13 minutes from time.
It was probably no more than Andy Myler’s side deserved.
Having only survived relegation via the play-off last season, the Dublin 4 side are hot favourites to go down this year, but showed a fighting spirit that they will hope can see them upset the odds once again.
The result was a definite blow for the Lilywhites though, whose brief title charge last season was impacted by dropping several points against sides in the bottom half.
For O’Donnell, his wait for a first opening day win in management continues.
It was Martin who was first to threaten in the game on 14 minutes when he broke in off the right only for a combination of Adam Wells and Lorcan Healy to scramble the ball behind for a corner.
Greg Sloggett then had an effort blocked down by Jesse Dempsey before the Students registered their first attempt on 16 minutes when Behan did well to get a shot away from range that was straight at Nathan Shepperd.
Dundalk were then awarded a penalty on 24 minutes when Martin went down in the box following a short free kick routine in which Patrick Hoban had feigned to shoot. Hoban, seven goals shy of equalling the club’s all-time scoring record, stepped up to take the spot kick but was denied by Healy, who dived to his left to push the shot away.
Boosted by that save, UCD went close to hitting the front themselves a minute later only for Donal Higgins’ piledriver to be brilliantly turned behind by Shepperd at full stretch.
The hosts did finally find the breakthrough on 34 minutes.
Louie Annesley’s cross from the left was laid off by Hoban to the inrushing Martin, who fired first-time past Healy to the bottom left hand corner.
The Co Louth men were then unlucky not to double their lead three minutes before the break when Ryan O’Kane made a brilliantly driving run into the box past Michael Gallagher and Jack Keaney only to see his left foot shot creep agonisingly wide of the far post.
After plenty of UCD pressure which failed to yield a return on the restart, it was again O’Kane who was first to threaten in the second half.
He did well to hold off substitute Ryan Bowden to get on the end of Connor Malley’s pass on 63 minutes, but couldn’t find the target as the defender hassled and harried him.
Malley then fired wide himself from a free-kick as he tried to catch Healy out two minutes later before Sloggett had a shot flash well over from range.
Behan then produced a moment of magic to get his side level on 77 minutes when he curled a superb free-kick over the wall from 25 yards and into the top right hand corner, despite Shepperd getting a hand to it.
Dundalk pushed hard for a winner after that with Archie Davies going close to a debut goal on 86 minutes as his piledriver from Keith Ward's lay-off deflected just wide for a corner which Sloggett headed over.
Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd; Archie Davies, Hayden Muller, Andy Boyle, Louie Annesley; Connor Malley (Cameron Elliott 80), Alfie Lewis (Paul Doyle 80), Greg Sloggett; John Martin (Keith Ward 84), Patrick Hoban, Ryan O’Kane (Daniel Kelly 84).
UCD: Lorcan Healy; Michael Gallagher, Adam Wells (Ryan Bowden 60), Jack Keaney, Jessie Dempsey; Brendan Barr, Dara Keane, Ciaran Behan, Donal Higgins, Daniel Norris (Mark Dignam 69); Alex Nolan.
Referee: Arnold Hunter.
