Another superb strike from Dermot McCaffrey rescued Dungannon Swifts and left Ballymena United still searching for their first home win.
The defender scored his second goal of the season with just 10 minutes remaining as Dungannon collected a deserved point at The Showgrounds.
And just like his strike at Donegal Celtic last month, it was something special.
McCaffrey has gained a reputation for scoring spectacular goals and this effort had added value because it rescued Dungannon in a game which seemed to be slipping away.
But for Ballymena the wait for a home win goes on. They have played six games this season on their own ground and failed to win any of them.
This was the perfect example of a game of two halves.
Dungannon dominated the first 45 minutes but did not manage the goal which their enterprising play deserved.
Michael Ward wasted their best chance by blasting wide from the penalty spot, while they also had a goal controversially ruled out for offside.
Ballymena improved significantly in the second half, sparked by Gary McCutcheon’s 48th minute goal which broke the deadlock and changed the flow of the match.
Swifts’ good play quickly faded – until McCaffrey’s dramatic late equaliser.
This result will have disappointed Dixie Robinson, who must have been targeting three points against Roy Walker’s inconsistent side.
Ballymena’s record in this fixture is pretty miserable with just one victory since February 2007.
And home fans must have feared that wretched sequence would continue after a first half dominated by Dungannon.
Playing in their fluorescent green away strip for the first time, Swifts’ slick, passing football and attacking play was equally eye-catching.
Early on Ryan O’Neill was brilliantly denied by goalkeeper Wayne Drummond, who reacted sharply to push the his powerful header wide.
It took Ballymena around 20 minutes to make an impact on the match, with Jordan Baker and Aaron Jenkins both going close when well placed.
Yet Dungannon continued to offer the greater threat and had the ball in the net after 30 minutes, albeit Stefan Lavery’s effort was controversially ruled out for offside.
Robinson, prowling angrily along the touchline, clearly disagreed with the decision.
But Swifts’ best chance came five minutes before the break.
Craig McClean won a penalty after being fouled in the box by Aaron Stewart. Unfortunately Ward could not capitalise, sending his spot-kick well wide.
It seemed only a matter of time before Dungannon’s good play was rewarded – but then Ballymena snatched the lead three minutes into the second half.
Conor Downey pumped a corner into the box and, after a series of deflections, the ball dropped perfectly for McCutcheon who turned it over the line.
Suddenly it was a different game with Ballymena seizing the attacking initiative, and one passage of play saw them denied three times in a matter of seconds by some desperate Dungannon defending.
It was all now depressingly familiar for Robinson, with the free-flowing football of the first half giving way to the same scrappy play of recent games.
Jenkins and McCutcheon both had decent chances but could not stretch their side’s lead.
Then, with 10 minutes remaining, McCaffrey drew them level with a stunning equaliser.
Dungannon won a free-kick on the edge of the box and the defender’s curling strike found the net before Drummond could get a touch on the ball.
Lavery missed a great chance to snatch the points after being set up by Ward, while Tony Kane’s late free-kick was kept out by Swifts ‘keeper Niall Morgan as the points were shared.
BALLYMENA UTD: Drummond, Kane, Gage, Stewart, McCutcheon, Jenkins, Teggart, Baker, Downey (Surgenor, 65), Costello (Boyd, 71), Rodgers (Watson, 46)
Subs not used: Vauls, Smith
DGN SWIFTS: Morgan, Murphy, McMinn, Fitzpatrick, McCluskey (Funston, 84), Ward, McCaffrey, McClean, S Lavery, O’Neill, McCready (Campbell, 65)
Subs not used: Montgomery, Forker, McAree
Referee: Raymond Crangle (Belfast)
