The talk this week may have been all about Dundalk entering the history books for having enjoyed the shortest reign ever as Cup holders, but the pattern of last night's lively Carlsberg FAI Cup tie at Oriel Park suggested it is the long-time specialists whose record run without a success in this competition may be extended when these two meet again on Tuesday night.

Though the Dubliners led for much of the second period, it was the home side who dominated the game for long periods, longer in fact than when they had beaten Rovers 4-0 on the way to last year's final.

Rovers may have started well, but for most of the first half Dundalk looked, as they had done in that semi-final stage back in March, like a side that wanted the win just that bit more.

Within 15 minutes they were beginning to get the better of the Dubliners, particularly in midfield where Ciaran Kavanagh and Chris Lawless were hustling and harrying their opposite numbers.

Having started to win a steady supply of possession, it didn't take long for Martin Murray's side to exert a little pressure on the Rovers defence. With a quarter of the game gone the holders came desperately close to opening the scoring when Kavanagh and Martin Reilly started a move that ended with Cormac Malone crossing for Lawless.

The ball hopped awkwardly for the midfielder, though, and after his shot had come back off the crossbar Graham O'Keeffe did well to hook the ball off the line.

The home support didn't have to wait long for their goal, however, with Reilly turning the ball home well five minutes later after Robbie Brunton's corner from the left had been headed fiercely into the area from 20 yards out by Donal Broughan.

That sort of aerial strength was something that Dundalk lacked up front for most of the evening as Pat Scully and Stephen McGuinness towered over Reilly and Malone.

But the pair went a long way towards making up for the shortcoming with their workrate.

The extent of the problems they were causing was highlighted early in the second half when McGuinness, facing his goal and with Kavanagh clipping at his heels, settled for aimlessly hoofing he ball over the hoardings and into a neighbouring field.

By then Rovers were level, with referee John McDermott having given them a 45th-minute penalty that prompted outraged protests from the home bench after Tony Grant had gone down following what looked to be rather slight contact with Bryan McCrystal.

Marc Kenny's spot kick was poor and John Connolly went the right way, but the ball squeezed in under him anyway.

Things got worse on 66 minutes when a charged down clearance allowed Grant to round Connolly before slipping the ball home.

This time there was nothing the goalkeeper could have done, but if he was still feeling sore about the near miss with the penalty then he was presumably cheered up nine minutes from time when Tony O'Dowd allowed a low, David Ward shot from fully 40 yards to slip from his hands and then failed in a desperate scramble to prevent the ball rolling over the line.

The error was enough to get Dundalk a replay on Tuesday night in Tolka Park where Liam Buckley's side will have to do much more if they are to keep their hopes of a 25th Cup success alive even into, er, late summer.

DUNDALK: Connolly; Hoey, Broughan, McCrystal, Brunton; Flanagan, Kavanagh, Lawless, Ward; Malone, Reilly.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: O'Dowd; O'Keeffe, Scully, McGuinness, Doyle; Robinson, Colwell, Kenny, Byrne; Hunt (Francis, 87 mins), Grant.

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).