Laois and Limerick shared the spoils following an entertaining Division 3 contest in O'Moore Park this evening.
This was a game that ebbed and flowed and, in the end, a draw was probably a fair result.
Laois played with the wind in the first half and took an early lead via Paddy O’Sullivan.
Their attacking play however was far from fluid after that as they routinely engaged in laborious play that the Treaty men were able to deal with.
And they weren’t clinical either with the chances they did create as they finished the half with eight wides to Limerick’s three.
After the O’Sullivan score, the visitors dominated proceedings and slotted the next four points.
James McNaughton pointed twice while Andrew Meade and Mark McCarthy also found the target.
The hosts drew level in the 14th minute when Daragh Galvin turned over a short kick out and Ronan Coffey fed Evan O’Carroll to fire home.
Limerick’s response was good as Conall O’Duinn, McNaughton and Danny Neville pointed and Laois failed to score for 15 minutes. The did however finish the half well and should have ended it ahead.
O’Carroll pointed and then added a free, but only after Rioghan Murphy missed a goal chance from inside the small square after Ronan Coffey had set him through following another Limerick short kickout that went wrong.
The half ended level at 1-4 to 0-7, with Laois facing into a breeze after the interval.
Despite the breezy conditions to kick into, Laois landed the first three scores via Conor Heffernan, Murphy and O’Carroll.
Limerick responded through Danny Neville, but an O’Carroll free after a great run from Jack Lacey left Laois 1-08 to 0-08 ahead after 50 minutes.
Laois then had another golden goal chance for Daragh Galvin but this time it was blocked on the line.
It stayed that way until the 63rd minute when Emmet Rigter came off the bench and pointed.
With five minutes remaining Barry Coleman kicked the first two-pointer of the game
Laois sprung Paul Kingston from the bench and he regained the lead for Laois as we entered the first of four minutes of added time.
But Limerick were back ahead a minute later as Eliah Riordan nailed a two-point free from the sideline,
Niall Corbet levelled the match and then had the chance to snatch the win, but his effort tailed wide and the spoils were shared.
Laois: Killian Roche; Ben Dempsey, Trevor Collins, Jack Lacey; Paddy O’Sullivan 0-01, Brian Byrne, Kevin Swayne; Rob Tyrell, Ciaran Burke 0-01; Cian Nolan, Ronan Coffey, Conor Heffernan 0-1; Rioghan Murphy 0-1 (free), Daragh Galvin, Evan O’Carroll 1-4 (0-3 frees).
Subs: Niall Corbet 0-01 for Nolan (55), Colin Dunne for Galvin (62), Paul Kingston for O’Carroll (68), Mikie Dempsey for Burke (68)
Limerick: Jeffrey Alfred; Jason Hassett, Darren O’Doherty, Mark McCarthy 0-01; Barry Coleman 0-02 (tp), Killian Ryan, Diarmuid Buckley; Jack McCarthy, Paul Maher; Eliah O’Riordan 0-02 (tpf), Andrew Meade 0-01, Conall O’Duinn 0-01; Rob Childs, James Naughton 0-03 (2f), Danny Neville 0-02.
Subs: Colm McsWeeney for Hassett (HT), Sam Quigley for O Duinn (injured – 38), Emmet Rigter 0-01 for Meade (61), Rory O’Brien for Maher (61)
Referee: Alan Coyne (Westmeath)
