Nine-man Shelbourne held on for a point at Drogheda United on Thursday night to extend their lead at the top of the Premier Division.
While the Reds will be disappointed to have dropped points in their title chase, they will also be relieved to have avoided defeat after a madcap finale.
Defender Tyreke Wilson gave Shels the lead midway through the first half with a fine header.
But they couldn’t keep it up, because in the final phase they dropped the three points.
Paddy Barrett was sent off eleven minutes from time after receiving two yellow cards in three minutes.
Goalscorer Wilson was then shown a second yellow card two minutes from time for a handball in the penalty area, which awarded Drogheda a penalty.
New Drogs signing Douglas James-Taylor scored from the penalty spot to give Kevin Doherty’s side a point.
But the draw was not the worst result for Shels as they moved a point clear of title rivals Derry City.
The Candystripes suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat at Sligo Rovers despite taking a second-half lead through winger Paul McMullan.
McMullan broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, with the Bit O’Red equalising from a penalty just after the hour mark through midfielder Ellis Chapman.
And Chapman scored again as extra time approached to win it, with JR Wilson sent off in the closing stages for the hosts at the Showgrounds.
Elsewhere, Waterford continued their remarkable season with a 1-0 victory over Stephen Kenny’s St Patrick’s Athletic at the RSC.
The Saints have tried to deceive in recent weeks under their new boss, but can have little to complain about after their latest defeat to the Blues.
Ben McCormack, a former St. Pat’s prospect, scored the winning goal.
The results mean Waterford are now in third place with 37 points, while Athletic are in seventh place with 28 points from 25 games.
They are two points ahead of eighth-placed Bohemians but have played four more games than them so far this season.
Bohemians could have closed that gap had they held on to win at Galway United after a 1-1 draw.
Instead, they will rue Adam McDonnell’s costly miss that would have earned them three points away to the Tribesmen.
Dayle Rooney’s first-half penalty gave Bohs the lead, but McDonnell then wasted a great chance to double their lead.
The Gypsies were punished for not taking advantage of their chances, as Rob Slevin equalised early in the second period.
John Caulfield’s team even had a chance to win the match in the closing stages, but referee Eoghan O’Shea disallowed Patrick Hickey’s goal for a foul.
Meanwhile, Shamrock Rovers maintained their slim hopes of a fifth successive Premier Division title with a nerve-wracking 1-0 win over Dundalk.
Johnny Kenny’s tenth league goal of the season was enough as he found the pot of gold under the rainbow that kissed the sky, while Dundalk’s late comeback came to nothing.
A superb ball from Dylan Watts curled past the Dundalk defence and Kenny fired the ball home in the 29th minute.
The home side held out until the end, however, when Dundalk’s substitutes gave them a number of chances in the closing stages, but they were unable to capitalise on them.
You can read Ronan MacNamara’s report here.
