Pat Hoban powered home an unstoppable injury-time header to deny Derry City the chance to leapfrog Dundalk into second.
The Candystripes were on track for victory having happily played the role of punch bag after protecting their early James Akintunde lead for so long.
They were soaking up the blows as Dundalk struggled to work goalkeeper Brian Maher enough, despite all their possession.
But they remained patient and Hoban, their captain and talisman, was the man for the big moment like he has been so many times before.
He timed his run perfectly and got in ahead of Mark Connolly - until recently a Dundalk loanee - to bury Steven Bradley’s pin-point cross.
Dundalk went into this clash boasting the league’s best home record having won 10 and drawn two of their 12 games.
But it looked like something would have to give as the Candystripes comfortably have the best away record in the Premier Division.
And they were in front before Dundalk even had the chance to settle.
Thereafter, the Lilywhites owned the ball but were making hard work of it when and where it mattered.
Until, that is, Hoban stepped forward at the death to salvage a hard fought point.
Not a lot went Dundalk’s way in the opening half.
If Akintunde’s goal wasn’t bad enough, the hosts were coming to terms with a double injury blow.
Paul Doyle limped off after 23 minutes and was replaced by new signing Alfie Lewis, the former St Pat’s man who signed a permanent deal from Plymouth.
And five minutes later, flying winger Daniel Kelly saw his night called to an abrupt halt after taking a heavy knock to his leg.
His replacement, Ryan O’Kane was certainly enthusiastic - but a little too much so at times as his control let him down at vital moments.
Still, he had Dundalk’s best chance of the half but found no way past Maher after Hoban laid off to him under a heavy challenge.
But Derry were happy soaking up that pressure, protecting that Akintunde goal after he left Andy Boyle in a spin.
He showed great composure in the box to slot home, more so than his team-mate Joe Thomson who let a great chance to double the lead wriggle away from him.
Dundalk laid it all on the table in the second-half as they tried to rescue the game, but continued to meet a stubborn Derry rearguard.
Centre-back Sam Bone had done all the hard after dancing into the box, only to see his shot slide wide after pulling the trigger.
Hoban then forced an incredible flying save from Maher but was deemed to have fouled Connolly in the air when getting his head to Lewis Macari’s cross.
And the Dundalk skipper teed up Bradley moments later with a gorgeous diagonal ball, but the Hibs loanee flashed an angled drive across goal.
O’Kane thought he had snatched a late equaliser only for it to deflect off the impressive Sadou Diallo before Maher gathered on the line.
But Hoban showed him how it was done with the final act.
DUNDALK: Shepped 6; Macari 6 (Benson 74, 6), Bone 7, Boyle 6, Leahy 6; Sloggett 6, Doyle 5 (Lewis 23, 6); Bradley 7, Adams 6 (Ward 74, 5), Kelly 5 (O’Kane 28, 7); Hoban 7.
DERRY CITY: Maher 6; Dummigan 7, Connolly 6, S McEleney 6, McJannett 6; Diallo 7, P McEleney 6; Graydon 6 (Kavanagh 77, 5), Thomson 6 (Lafferty 87, 5), Glass 6 (Duffy 77, 6); Akintunde 7 (McGonigle 67, 5)
Referee: R Hennessy
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