Just as it had been with Bohemians after Friday's draw with City, it was difficult to imagine after this game at Oriel Park that Dundalk are a team destined to be relegated for the first time in their history.

That there are considerable problems at the club was obvious for all to see yesterday, as the visit of the champions drew only another tiny crowd to Carrick Road.

But on the pitch things seem to get better in inverse proportion to how bad they are off it. If things go on like this, indeed, they'll be wheeling a wrecking ball into position by the main stand early next May just as the players celebrate the side's most unlikely championship yet.

Well, a bit far-fetched perhaps, but one defeat in six games and four points over the past couple of weeks from their home games with the clubs who most people agree are engaged in a head-to-head for the title is hardly the form which catapults clubs into the abyss of the first division.

And yesterday the reality was that Dundalk should have won, for the southerners were comfortably outplayed in the second half. Admittedly, the first half was best forgotten.

"That's as well as we've played all year," admitted Dundalk manager Jim McLaughlin as his players left for home behind him. "Despite everything that's gone on over the last couple of weeks, the spirit here is excellent and that's been the cornerstone of our form lately. "Today we would have liked to take all three points, but it was a magnificent performance and we can be proud that we've done so well against another of the country's top teams."

In the circumstances, Dave Barry was happy too. His team had been a goal down for the third time in their last four outings and had, once again, come away with a draw. It had taken a bit of intervention from the bench, the introduction of Pat Morley and goal-scorer Noel Hartigan, as well as more than one formational reorganisation. But he said: "We've taken another point away from home and you've always got to be happy with that when it's Oriel Park you're leaving."

Generally, Barry added, his only gripe about the afternoon's work was the lingering suspicion that the home side's goal had arisen out of a poor offside decision. "Declan (Daly) and Derek (Coughlan) both insisted that they stepped out to leave David Ward offside and a couple of the lads who were warming up down there were certain that he was three yards off. The cameras were here, though, so I'll wait to see it again."

If Ward had been offside on that occasion then it was a rare slice of luck for the home side, who had had several promising moves forward pulled back due to what looked like rash interventions by the linesman.

After Ray Campbell, Lee Thew and Shane Reddish had all combined to set up Ward for a close-range finish, though, they were even more unlucky not to get the second goal that would have earned them all of the points.

Late in the game Campbell had a 25-yard strike deflected inches wide by Morley, and seconds later Tom McNulty's drive from much the same distance crashed back off the post, only for Ward to hopelessly misdirect the follow-up shot.

Perhaps the most costly miss of all, however, had been Ward's in the 75th minute when the young striker did all that was required only to see Peter Withnell fail to get out of the way a couple of yards short of the line.

Within seconds City, playing with three up front at that point, including the recently arrived Hartigan, had a free in midfield. Gareth Cronin took it, and Coughlan and Mark Herrick helped it on. It still looked far from likely to produce a goal as Hartigan chased away from goal, though, and it took a wonderfully hooked shot over his right shoulder for the youngster to bag the equaliser.

With so much competition for places, particularly up front, Hartigan has struggled to earn a place in Barry's side this season, and this, his second league goal of the season, was, he said, partly the result of his growing eagerness to impress.

"Probably before, my instinct would have been to pull the ball back across the goal, but I felt that, coming off the bench, I've got to grab whatever chances come my way if I'm going to make an impression."

That he did, and while his team may not look as invulnerable as they did a few weeks back, they are still, as the title race turns for home, where they've been since day one of the season, setting the pace for everybody else to follow.

Dundalk: Williams; Reddish, Capper, Brady, Crawley; Brennan, Thew, McNulty, Campbell; Ward, Withnell.

Cork City: Mooney; O'Donoghue, Coughlan, Daly, Cronin; Herrick, Hill, Barry Murphy, Cahill; Caulfield, Dobbs. Subs: Hartigan for O'Donoghue (72 mins), Morley for Barry Murphy (55 mins).

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).