AC Libertas 1 Drogheda Utd 1: Substitute Federico Nanni's late equaliser punished Drogheda for their failure to make possession pay as they now have more work to do back at Dalymount Park in a fortnight than, on the evidence of this one-sided game, they really should have.
Settling, it seemed, for damage limitation, the Sammarinese amateurs played with a 5-4-1 formation that frustrated Drogheda for much of the match.
That frustration was then compounded when Libertas struck to score with their only chance on 77 minutes. Nanni burst through from midfield, skipped past Simon Webb a little too easily and sidefooted the ball past Dan Connor for a fine finish.
Save for the result, it was virtually Groundhog Day for an Irish side at this venue following Ireland's 2-1 win here in a Euro 2008 qualifier in February.
Though the result belied the run of play, Paul Doolin's side managed to create just one chance throughout the second half. Shortly after Libertas had equalised, Shane Robinson's shot forced a save from home keeper Michele Ceccoli.
Having made his first save of the night from Aidan O'Keeffe as early as the second minute, Ceccoli was there to make the stop of the first half on 19 minutes after Brian Shelley's determined run past two defenders set up Sami Ristila to shoot from close range.
Drogheda should have been in front on the half hour, but failed to avail of an advantage. Robinson was taken down by Ceccoli from Ristla's through pass.
Though clearly a penalty, Albanian referee Albano Janku saw the ball break to the feet of Eamon Zayed with the goal gaping, but his poor sidefoot shot was cleared off the line by Davide Simoncini.
The latter knows a thing or two about frustrating superior opposition as he had played against Ireland here in February.
Zayed made amends, however, to finally break the deadlock two minutes before half-time
Regaining his feet quickly after Stefano Sottili had taken him down, the former Ireland under-21 international swept the ball past Ceccoli after a flowing build up involving Ristila and the overlapping Steven Gray.
AC LIBERTAS:Ceccoli: Gazzi, Simoncini (Nanni, 54 mins), Sottili, Cevoli, Macerata; Santini (Canninni, 86 mins), Tarini, Semprini, Cavalli (Pari, 71 mins); Fambri.
DROGHEDA UNITED:Connor; Tambouras, Gartland, Gray (Webb, 67 mins); Whelan, Robinson, Byrne, O'Keeffe (Baker, 78 mins); Ristila, Zayed (Grant, 71 mins).
Referee: Albano Janku (Albania).