Limerick gradually got on top at the Gaelic Grounds this afternoon to beat their Munster rivals Clare and record a second win in Division 1B.
Mark Flaherty scored three early frees as Clare shot into a 0-06 to 0-00 lead, with Ollie Moran claiming the hosts' first point 20 minutes in.
Crucially, Limerick nabbed a 31st-minute goal from Sean O'Connor to close the gap to 0-07 to 1-02 at half-time.
An Andrew O'Shaughnessy goal, set up by Moran, then edged the Shannonsiders in front and that is how it stayed.
Limerick had to show great resilience to fight back and take the spoils, as their first quarter showing was particularly disappointing.
Second to the majority of breaking balls, Richie Bennis' side took their time to settle and some wayward shooting from the likes of Moran and dual player Stephen Lavin did little for their cause.
Tony Carmody opened the scoring for Clare with a 50-metre point from an acute angle. The ever-accurate Flaherty tagged on a quick brace of frees before Jonathan Clancy knocked over his first point.
Limerick did have a decent goal-scoring opportunity in the 12th-minute but Ollie Moran's shot was a weak one and Clare goalkeeper Philip Brennan was not troubled.
The point of the half arrived just a minute later when Clare countered and David Barrett won the ball before launching an over-the-shoulder shot off his left that sailed through the uprights.
Moran's point, some seven minutes later, woke Limerick from their slumber and Bennis shook up his team by introducing Niall Moran and Mark O'Riordan off the bench.
There was a scoreless period, broken by a Flaherty free, before O'Connor slammed home his goal just past the half-hour mark.
Ollie Moran started the move and he fed O'Shaughnessy with a hand pass. The 2007 All Star set off on a purposeful run, chased by the covering Carmody, and he swung the ball across for O'Connor to beat Brian Murray with a well-placed shot.
Clare close out the half with a point from Niall Gilligan as they took a 0-07 to 1-02 lead into the second half.
The Banner men should have been further in front at that stage and they would pay the price for hitting 12 wides inside the first 40 minutes of the game.
Into the second half, a pointed free from O'Shaughnessy kept Limerick in touch before the same player was played in for his goal.
Ollie Moran was involved again. He played a ball in across the square and O'Shaughnessy was alive to it, firing a fierce shot from the left past Brennan and into the right corner of the Clare net.
That pushed the home side into a 2-03 to 0-08 lead and they never looked back. Successive points followed from Mark Foley, Mike Fitzgerald and O'Connor as last year's beaten All-Ireland finalists began to find their rhythm.
Gilligan and Clancy replied for Clare, yet Limerick were playing much the better hurling now with Paudie O'Dwyer and Donie Ryan registering points - although Ryan should have gone for goal.
Substitute Wayne McNamara then pointed to make the score-line 2-09 to 0-10 and late efforts from O'Shaughnessy, Mark Foley and Niall Moran were enough to see Limerick past the post and up to second in the Division 1B table.
