A dramatic last-minute equaliser from substitute Kieran Foley earned Longford Town a vital point in their bid to climb out of the relegation zone after a keenly fought encounter with St Patrick's Athletic at Richmond Park last night.

Foley, who had come on as an 83rd-minute substitute for Barry Ferguson, was in the right place at the right time to head home from close range after a nod down from Avery John.

That cancelled out a superb individual goal from Ugandan international Charles Mbabazi Livingstone, which had given the Dublin club the lead on the stroke of half-time.

After St Patrick's striker Tony Bird scuffed an attempted shot over the bar in the early stages with an attempted bicycle kick, it was Longford who came closest to breaking the deadlock on 20 minutes. A long ball from ex-St Patrick's man Brian McGovern set up the chance for winger Brian Byrne.

His first-time volley seemed to take a slight deflection before the effort was brilliantly pushed away by former West Brom keeper Chris Adamson.

Then Darragh Sheridan had one long-range effort for the visitors, with St Pat's strangely subdued in the early stages.

Despite some inventive play between Karim El Kheybir and Mbabazi, the home side's attack looked ineffective although former Aston Villa man Keith Fahy did have one long-range effort wide of the target.

Adamson then came to St Pat's rescue when he got down to save a McGovern header after a corner by Phillip Keogh on the left, but Longford had the final say with Foley's late equaliser.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson; Prenderville, Maguire, Foley, El Kheybir; Fahy, Donnelly, Osam, Mbabazi; Jones, Bird. Subs: Murphy for Donnelly (17 mins.), Dunne for Jones (68 mins.), Harris for Fahey (86 mins.).

LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien; Dillon, Ferguson, McGovern, John; Kirby, Sheridan, Keogh, Byrne; Francis, Lavine. Subs: Barrett for Francis (45 mins.), Mulvihill for Byrne (75 mins.), Foley for Ferguson (83 mins.).

Referee: Jimmy O'Neill (Waterford).