Monday night's offering to complete the weekend schedule saw Lahti looking to get back to winning ways after defeat to HJK last time out, but that would be no easy task against a VPS side who had been climbing the table after a slow start, taking seven points from their previous three fixtures.
So it proved late in the first half, when Luka Smyth won possession midway inside the Lahti half and made headway into the penalty area before steering his second of the season into the bottom corner.
But the home side weren't behind for long, as two minutes into added time at the end of the half, Daniel Heikkinen tried his luck from the edge of the area. The shot was blocked but ricocheted kindly to Cristobal Montiel, who drilled in his maiden Veikkausliiga goal.
The Vaasa side had the perfect opportunity to retake the lead within minutes of the second half getting underway after a foul by Romaric Yapi inside the area, but Smyth's eye for goal deserted him as he failed to convert the penalty.
That was one of a handful of chances that came Smyth's way in the second 45 minutes, but Lahti continally frustrated the Australian and held on to draw 1-1. They stay eighth in the table on eight points, with VPS two points and two places clear.
Still clear at the top of the table are Inter Turku, who made it back-to-back wins away at SJK. Alie Conteh and Johannes Yli-Kokko had the visitors two up inside nine minutes, before Rangel missed the chance to cut the deficit when he failed to convert a penalty soon after. Clinton Jephta added a third just before the hour mark, and Elias Mastokangas grabbed a consolation in the 90th minute for SJK, who still have one win all season.
Ilves also have just one victory from seven games as they twice surrendered the lead away at HJK, who climb to fourth despite one win in their last five. Brooklyn Lyons-Foster scored just before the break to cancel out Maksim Stjopin's opener, and after Stjopin scored his second in the 59th minute, Mads Borchers replied seven minutes from time. Mihailo Bogicevic was shown a second yellow card late on, but the Lynx could not find a winner in added time.
After three straight losses to start the season, Gnistan have gone four unbeaten and really hit their stride by putting five past bottom-of-the-table Jaro. Adeleke Akinyemi broke the deadlock just before the break, but a Michael Ogungbaro own goal opened the floodgates early in the second half - Akinyemi added his second, before Rachide Gnanou and Joakim Latonen completed the rout.
Alongside Jaro, Mariehamn are the only side still without a Veikkausliiga win this season, but a point at home to KuPS takes them unbeaten in two, while the champions remain third despite no wins in four. Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba put the Kuopio side ahead in the 35th minute, seconds after coming on, but the hosts hit back just seven minutes later through Anttoni Huttunen.
In second place, two points behind Inter Turku are AC Oulu, who got back to winning ways by inflicting a first defeat of the season on newly-promoted TPS. The only goal arrived with the hour mark approaching courtesy of Rasmus Karjalainen, and though the hosts had Tuomas Kaukua sent off in added time after two bookings in three minutes, the Turku side were unable to find a late leveller.