St Patrick's Athletic 2 Dublin City 2Top scorer Aidan O'Keeffe seemed to have secured the points for St Patrick's Athletic with his 86th-minute goal at Richmond Park last night but Paul Crowley had the final say with a late equaliser.

Mathematically, St Patrick's Athletic can still be relegated, while Dublin City could survive the drop. However, neither scenario is likely to unfold and both teams played accordingly.

What Dublin lack in ability they make up for in effort. Five minutes into the contest first Gary O'Neill and then Paul Crowley found themselves in goal-scoring territory only to miss the target.

Then, as has been the way this season, the wheels fell off as St Pat's began to dominate in front of one of their most fervent supporters: Ireland manager Brian Kerr.

Mark Quinless had a shot blocked, while Robbie Doyle and O'Keeffe both went close before Keith Fahey opened the scoring on 32 minutes. Doyle supplied the ball from the left and the former under-19 international neatly finished with a half-volley.

Seven minutes later it was the home side's turn to show their defensive frailties as Adam Rundle's shot from out on the left, after a Marc Kenny pass, levelled things up at the break.

City carried that momentum into the second half, Rundle almost grabbing a second, but never really looked like taking the lead. The killer instinct was rarely evident but St Pat's did come close before O'Keeffe's goal when midway through the second half the same player broke into the box and mishit a shot into the path of Fahey but his "goal" was flagged offside.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson; Quigley (Casey, 58 mins), Maguire, Foley, Bell; Quinless, Prenderville (El Khebyr, 89 mins) Fahey, O'Keeffe; Doyle, Markey (Dunne, 54 mins).

DUBLIN CITY: Ryan; Henry, T O'Connor, Cooper, Rowland (Brennan, 76 mins); C O'Connor, Crowley, Tierney (Hynes, 86 mins), Kenny, Rundle; O'Neill.

Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).