The theme from Lost In Space blasting out during the half-time break seemed appropriate enough. A group of would-be highfliers haplessly trying to extract themselves from a deepening farce. Yup, it's been a bit like that at Dalymount recently.

Up Phibsborough way Roddy Collins would doubtless be happy to settle for the Hollywood-style ending to this season's bizarre saga. And with a second-half performance good enough to salvage a point from the game and almost good enough to take all three, his players gave the strongest suggestion yet that it can still be smiles all around when the curtain comes down on the current campaign.

St Patrick's, on the other hand, will be disappointed not to have won the sort of game they regularly triumphed in on the way to the championship last season.

Like their rivals Cork, who had some hairy moments when they came here back in September, Liam Buckley's side were forced to absorb quite a bit of pressure over the course of the first half and just like Cork, they not only survived the best that the home side could throw at them but also scored against the run of play.

The goal wasn't much to look at, Trevor Molloy's corner and Eddie Gormley's shot were followed by an almighty scramble inside the six-yard box. Still, the hosts had their chance to clear the danger and had passed it up so they could scarcely complain when Colin Hawkins stepped up to hammer the loose ball home from eight yards out.

That should, on the face of it, have been that for Bohemians for the champions had not previously failed to win a game they had led this season, while Roddy Collins's team do not have quite the reputation that his brother enjoyed for scrapping it out when the going gets tough.

Scrap they did, though, and unlike Cork Bohemians's visitors simply couldn't hold out last night against a side spurred on by an increasingly desperate need for points. As it happens they produced little that was pleasing to the eye through the opening stages of the second half, but they did see enough of the ball and did sufficient prodding at the St Patrick's defence to be worth Tommy Byrne's fine 20-yard equaliser just short of the hour.

After that it was anybody's for the taking, although the northsiders just about had the better of the chances with Derek Swan going close more than once and Graham Lawlor looking to have had a solid penalty claim on his hands when Stephen McGuinness prevented him from rising to meet a high ball from the left.

The new-look Bohemians midfield, Paul Byrne is the latest to sign up, began to get on top too, Gormley such a strong influence in the opening spell, losing out in the second to Graham O'Hanlon while Graham Doyle and Kevin Hunt performed respectably enough.

The Saints could have stolen it, though, and only for Brian Mooney who, as Trevor Croly had done twice early on for the visitors, cleared off the line during a strong late flurry by the champions they would have. Had they found the net, it would surely have prompted the suggestion that this was just the sort of night on which titles are won - so was it the sort when they are lost?

BOHEMIANS: Dempsey; O'Connor, Maher, Mullen, Byrne; Mooney, O'Hanlon, Doyle, Hunt; Lawlor, Swan.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Wood; McGuinness, Lynch, Hawkins; Croly, Gormley, Osam, Russell, Doyle; Molloy, Gilzean. Subs: Reilly for Gilzean (63 mins), Campbell for Russell (72 mins).

Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).

Limerick FC switched on their new floodlights at Hogan Park last evening but failed to ignite the crowd in a 1-1 draw with Kilkenny City.