An injury time strike rubbed salt into the Longford Town wounds as Drogheda United scored a 4-1 victory in Game in the head park.
The result leaves the town second bottom of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division, one game ahead of the mid-season break.
Goals from Ronan Murray, Mark Doyle and a brace from substitute Jordan Adeyemo gave the home side all three points, while Aaron Dobbs scored the consolation for Longford.
The first opportunity of the contest arrived on nine minutes. James Brown whipped in a cross from the right that picked out unmarked striker Chris Lyons but he flashed his header wide.
Lyons had another headed chance in the 17th minute but again he directed his header wide, this time, from Ronan Murray’s left-wing corner.
The home side continued to apply serious pressure to the Town rearguard and should have hit the front on 32 minutes. A superb pass from Mark Doyle found Lyons on the left, he raced to the end-line and pulled the ball back to the inrushing Darragh Markey, who somehow miscued his shot badly wide from 12-yards.
Within a minute, the home side came close to breaking the deadlock again, Dane Massey narrowly headed a Murray corner just off target.
Drogheda deservedly took the lead 60 seconds later. Ronan curling his 25-yard free-kick over the town wall and into the net at the near post despite Town keeper Lee Steacy getting his gloves to the ball.
The home side doubled their advantage just before the interval with a superb move. Killian Phillips played a sumptuous pass down the right flank to Brown, his dangerous curling low cross pin-pointed Doyle at the near post, who controlled the ball brilliantly before finding the far corner with a composed finish.
The introduction of Aaron McNally at half-time and Rob Manley on 54 minutes galvanizing the town, who got back in the game on 52 minutes with a goal from out of nowhere.
Callum Thompson delivered a low cross from the left and Dobbs flicked shot seemed to have been gathered by Drogheda keeper David Odumoso, but the ball squirmed out of his grasp and Dobbs pounced to tap home from close range.
Two minutes later town Centre-back Mick McDonnell rose highest to meet a Dylan Grimes corner, but his header went just over the Drogheda bar.
Eight minutes later, a great run and shot from Rob Manley whistled just past the Drogheda post.
Town stopper Steacy made a smart save from Brown 10 minutes later, Brown had been set up by substitute James Clarke.
However, it was Drogheda who got the crucial next goal to decide the contest, as substitute striker Adeyemo weaved his way past two town defenders before firing a low shot to the far corner on four minutes from time.
The icing on the cake for the hosts came deep into stoppage time when Adeyemo latched onto a ball from fellow substitute James Clarke, his rising shot rocketed past Steacy to complete the victory for Drogheada.
Drogheda United (3-2-3-2): Odumosu, Phillips, O’Reilly, Massey, Brown, Kane, Markey, Deegan, Mulvey, Lyons, Doyle.
Substitutions: Clarke for Murray (75 minutes), Adeyemo for Lyons (82 minutes), O’Shea for Markey (87 minutes).
Longford Town (4- 2-3-1): Steacy, Chambers, McDonnell, O’Driscoll, Kirk, Dervin, Zambra, Thompson, Davies, Grimes, Dobbs.
Substitutions: McNally for Chambers (half-time), Rob Manley for Davies (54 minutes), Bolger for Zambra (75 minutes), Byrne for McDonnell (85 minutes).
