Drogheda Utd captain Conor Keeley headed home two minutes from the end to deny Dundalk their first win back in the top flight in a fiery Louth Derby at Oriel Park.
It looked as though Ciarán Kilduff's side would claim the local bragging rights when Danny Mullen flicked home the opening goal in the 57th minute.
However, for the second week running last season’s First Division winners were left to rue a late concession as a Drogheda side, who were second best for long periods, maintained their unbeaten start.
While Kevin Doherty’s side failed to get the three points that would have seen them win three games in-a-row at the start of a top flight season for the first time in their history, the late equaliser keeps them joint top with Bohemians.
For Dundalk, their wait for a first Premier Division win since beating the Boynesiders in July 2024 continues.
A fiery start was ensured even before the coin toss when several flares were thrown by the Drogheda fans onto the newly re-laid artificial surface, causing multiple burn marks.
The smoke had barely cleared when Dundalk had penalty appeals turned down on four minutes. Eoin Kenny burst into the box before going down under a challenge from Ethan O’Brien. While referee Rob Hennessy made the correct call in not awarding a spot kick, TV replays showed he made the wrong one in the moments afterwards when awarding the home side a free on the edge of the box despite Keeley, who was booked, shoving Kenny to the ground as he took exception to the 20-year-old’s tumble seconds earlier.
While that incident came to nothing, the hosts largely bossed the first half with Danny Mullen forcing the first save of the night from Luke Dennison in the 12th minute with an effort from the edge of the box.
Daryl Horgan then curled a shot over before Leo Burney had a cross-cum-shot turned behind by Conor Kearns at the other end.
Perhaps the best opening of the half arrived on 21 minutes when Gbemi Arubi played a neat one-two with Kenny from Bobby Burns’ pass to get in behind the Boynesiders’ defence but his curling shot was agonisingly wide of the right-hand post.
Drogheda would have their best chance of a breakthrough five minutes later when a brilliant ball in from the left by Conor Kane picked out Thomas Oluwa but he couldn’t get a shot off to punish the hosts.
Both JR Wilson and Horgan had further chances for the Lilywhites before the break but the sides went off scoreless at the break, just like every other game in the Premier Division.
Keeley was left breathing a sigh of relief four minutes after the restart when he almost sliced a clearance from Wilson’s cross into his own net but it flashed just over.
Thomas Oluwa then beat the offside trap in the 51st minute but was denied by a big save at point blank range by Kearns.
The breakthrough would finally arrive six minutes later with Drogheda struggling to deal with Horgan’s free kick into the box, which almost dropped for Arubi. When it broke to the edge of the box, Buckley’s shot was then brilliantly flicked to the net by Mullen.
After a brief stoppage due to a medical emergency, Brandon Kavanagh saw a free kick saved by Kearns before Horgan pulled a shot wide at the other end with seven minutes remaining.
It looked like that would be that until the 88th minute when Keeley strode out of defence to pick out Kieran Cruise on the left with the defender going on to attack the substitute’s ball into the box, getting up above Kearns – who felt he was fouled – to head home a big equaliser.
Dundalk: Kearns; JR Wilson, Cornwall, Leonard, Burns; Dervin (Teahan 72), Buckley; Kenny (Groome 83), Mullen, Horgan (T Wilson 83); Arubi (McDaid 72).
Drogheda United: Dennison; Agbaje (Bucknor 63), Burney, Keeley, Quinn, Kane (Cruise 72); Farrell (Godden 63), O’Brien (Brennan 72); Kavanagh; Oluwa, Doyle (Kareem 63)
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Limerick).
