WATCH: Treaty United battle back to secure dramatic late draw with Kerry FC in First Division

TREATY United kept their SSE Airtiricity League First Division promotion play-off dreams alive at Mounthawk Park on Friday evening thanks to a dramatic 1-1 draw against Kerry FC.

Late substitute Ben Lee equalised in stoppage time with his first touch of the game, cancelling out what looked like a winning goal from Sean McGrath six minutes previously as the Limerick side’s search for their first back-to-back league wins since May continues.

Most importantly, Tommy Barret’s men remain in fifth place in the First Division table – the last playoff place – albeit just one point clear of sixth-placed Wexford FC who closed the gap after securing a 2-1 win away to Athlone town.

READ NEXT: Stunning fourth medal success for Limerick's Róisín Ní Riain at Para Swimming World Championships

In what was the final Munster Derby of the season and Treaty’s penultimate away fixture of the regular 2025 campaign, a much-changed Kerry side started the brightest with winger Joe Adams causing the Treaty defence problems earlier on.

However, Barrett’s charges slowly came into the game and began to take a foothold on proceedings from 15 minutes on the clock.

Just shy of the 20th-minute mark Richkov Boevi should have opened the scoring but the unmarked Treaty full back headed Karl O’Sullivan’s superb cross over the bar from close-range.

What a way to equalise!

Benjamin Lee scores late on for Treaty United. pic.twitter.com/NbuyMehKIE

— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) September 26, 2025

Treaty’s best chance of the opening half came eight minutes before the break. Lee Devitt eased through the Kerry defence thanks to his quick feet before laying the ball off to Patrick Ferry. However, the Treaty striker’s curled effort sailed over the bar much to the delight of Darragh Foley in the Kerry goals.

After a lacklustre start to the second half, Treaty survived a scare just after the hour mark as Treaty keeper Corey Chambers and Kerry forward Cian Brosnan could watch on as Finn Barrett’s whipping cross brushed inches away from the far post.

Twenty minutes before time, Boevi came close to putting Treaty ahead, but Ewan Lee superbly took the ball from the feet of the full back to deny a certain goal.

Substitutes combined, however, with six minutes remaining on the clock as Killarney youngster Luke Doolan flicked on to Sean McGrath before the Kerry forward superbly curled the ball into the far corner, giving Chambers no chance in the Treaty goal.

With Wexford leading 2-1 away to Athlone Town at this stage, Treaty’s playoff hopes looked in tatters, but substitute Ben Lynch had other ideas.

Lynch, only on the pitch 30 seconds, beautifully curled the ball into the top right corner in the 90th minute, after a Roy Lawlor backheel fooled the Kerry defence.

The visitors could have won the game late on but Roy Lawlor handed a Lee J Lynch cross narrowly wide.

Treaty can now look forward to back-to-back home games against Longford Town and Bray Wanderers respectively, but it now looks increasingly likely their chances of securing a playoff spot will come down to their final game, away to Wexford on October 17.

TREATY UNITED: Corey Chambers: Evan O’Connor (Ben Lee 90), Mark Walsh (capt.) (Robbie Lynch 75), Ben Lynch, Richkov Boevi; Colin Conroy, Eoin Martin (Lee J Lynch 65); Karl O’Sullivan, Lee Devitt, Mark Byrne (Roy Lawlor 65); Patrick Ferry

KERRY FC: Darragh Foley; Finn Barrett, Christopher McQueen, Daniel O’Connor (Kevin Williams 29, injured), Ewan Lee; Oran Crowe (Sean McGrath 64), Ronan Teehan (capt.), Arran Healy (Carl Mujaguzi half-time); Cian Brosnan, Robert Cleary (Luke Doolan 64), Joseph Adams (Daniel Okwute 79)

REFEREE: John ‘Sconnie’ Walsh (Waterford)