SOCCER: AIRTRICITY LEAGUE: Shamrock Rovers 2 Dundalk 2:BILLY DENNEHY'S injury-time header salvaged a point for the champions in a thrilling game last night in Tallaght where, for most of the evening, Michael O'Neill's side looked to be on course for defeat.

Mark Griffin struck either side of half-time for the visitors but Dennehy’s close-range header completed a dramatic comeback that had been started by Chris Turner 11 minutes from time.

Even then, however, there was time for Colin Hawkins to squander a chance to snatch the win from point blank range with the last kick of the game.

It was remarkable stuff with Dundalk producing a vastly improved performance to get themselves into a winning position only for the hosts to show an enormous amount of character in the way they overcame some spirited resistance to haul themselves back into things.

Rovers didn’t help themselves by defending so poorly for most of the night and Dundalk made hay when breaking forward through the centre with Greg Bolger and Keith Ward repeatedly allowed the opportunity to release Mark Quigley and Griffin, whose movement as they headed towards goal from outside the area seemed to leave Dan Murray and Ken Oman floundering.

Griffin, in particular, caught the eye even before he opened the scoring midway through the first half with a rather tamely struck low angled shot that still had enough on it to slip past Alan Mannus and trickle into the bottom right corner.

The hosts, to be fair, always seemed to have the better of things in terms of run of play but for long stretches it seemed almost as if they had a few too many ideas on how to handle things when pushing forward into the final third of the pitch and not nearly enough when hastily retreating in the face of some pretty lively counter-attacks.

Up front, Gary McCabe, Dennehy and Gary O’Neill all had their moments over the course of the first hour but a lot of chances were passed up without Peter Cherrie ever having to make what would have gone down as a really decent save.

Ian Foster’s men, on the other hand, proved a little more adept at making something out of nothing as their second goal illustrated rather magnificently with Ross Gaynor floating in a high free kick which, given the heights of the various players under it, 20-year-old Griffin looked a rank outsider to connect with.

Somehow, though, the striker was allowed to rise almost unchallenged to meet it on the edge of the six-yard box and his header left Mannus with little chance of making the save.

The bite seemed to go out of the attacking side of Dundalk’s game after that and with Michael O’Neill livening things up by bringing on Karl Sheppard and Chris Turner, the visitors suddenly started to look like they were under a bit of pressure.

It took its toll 11 minutes from time when a rather hasty clearance by Cherrie fell to Turner whose first time shot flew low through the area and in.

From then, Dundalk were hanging on but after Cherie had saved brilliant from Oman Rovers finally found a way through in injury time when Pat Sullivan’s cross was flicked on for Dennehy who headed over the goalkeeper from close range.

That, as the local fans delighted in telling their visitors during the few moments that remained, is why they’re champions.

SHAMROCK ROVERS:Mannus; Sullivan, Oman, Murray (Sives, 54 mins), Stevens; Finn, O'Donnell (Turner, 64 mins); McCabe, Twigg (Sheppard, 68 mins), Dennehy; O'Neill.

DUNDALK:Cherrie; Madden, Bennett, Hawkins, N Murphy; Kearns, Ward, Bolger, Gaynor; Quigley, Griffin.

Referee: A Kelly (Cork).