Drogheda Utd 2 Cork City 2:Just when it appeared they looked down and out, Drogheda United rescued a valuable point from an entertaining encounter at United Park last night.

Ahead by a goal at the half-time break the home side were stunned by two Roy O'Donovan goals in a five-minute spell in the second half.

Substitute Sami Ristila, making his first start of the season, was on hand 18 minutes from time to head home the equaliser.

With barely seven minutes gone Stuart Byrne's long ball up the middle from defence saw Tony Grant muscle his way between Cork's central defensive pair and cut into the box. City goalkeeper Michael Devine raced from his line but in attempting the save bundled Grant over.

Referee Damien Hancock, who appeared to have a perfect view of the incident, didn't whistle. However, his assistant flagged for the infringement and Drogheda were awarded a penalty which Shane Robinson coolly slotted home, sending Devine the wrong way in the process.

On 13 minutes Robinson's cross from the right found Ollie Cahill six yards out but in attempting to chest the ball down it ran away from him and into the arms of the Cork goalkeeper.

Cork went close to an equaliser as the clock ticked past quarter of an hour when Dan Murray met Denis Behan's corner with what looked like the perfect header only to be denied by Mikko Vilmunen's finger tips.

The remainder of the half produced plenty of effort but little in the way of goal chances. The visitors best chance fell to Roy O'Donovan who drove a 20-yard strike narrowly wide and the home side could only muster a single opportunity themselves when Steven Bradley's free right on half-time sailed over the bar.

Drogheda appeared sluggish in the second half and it was no surprise when Cork drew level on 61 minutes when Joe Gamble's cross from the right was stabbed home by Roy O'Donovan.

Five minutes later City hit the front when they were awarded what looked like a pretty soft penalty. O'Donovan tumbled in the box as he contested the ball with Vilmunen. Referee Hancock on this occasion pointed straight to the penalty spot and O'Donovan picked himself up to drill the ball home.

However, Drogheda proved they're made of stern stuff when they equalised in the 72nd minute. Eamon Zayed's persistence paid handsome dividends when he closed down Devine's attempted clearance from a back pass. The striker's block flew high in the air and back towards goal where substitute Sami Ristila was on hand to head the ball to the net.

United almost won it twice in the closing minutes when firstly Ristila's snap shot from a Simon Webb cross was saved by Devine and then Paul Keegan's cross from the right was nudged just past the post by a City defender.

n Former Burnley, Wolves, Wigan Athletic and Tranmere Rovers midfielder Paul Cook was yesterday named as Sligo Rovers' new manager.

Cook, a 40-year-old Liverpudlian, replaces Rob McDonald who resigned following a contract dispute the week before the season began last month.

Having signed a deal until the end of the 2009 season, Cook will move permanently to Sligo with immediate effect, taking charge of the side for the first time against Waterford United at the Showgrounds this evening.

DROGHEDA: Vilmunen, Webb, Gray, Gartland, Robinson (Whelan, 85 mins), Grant (Ristila, 67 mins), Bradley, Byrne, Zayed, Keegan, Cahill.

CORK: Devine, Horgan, Ryan (Lordan, 90 mins), O'Callaghan, Murray, O'Brien, Gamble, O'Donovan, Softic, Behan, Kearney.

Referee: D Hancock (Dublin).