Shane Dooley had an eventful evening at the Gaelic Grounds as the corner forward rescued a draw for Offaly with an injury-time penalty.
Dooley, who scored 2-5, had missed a penalty early in the second half before scoring with his second one deep in stoppage time to break Limerick hearts.
Limerick led by 2-6 to 1-7 at half-time, thanks to goals from Niall Moran and Sean Tobin.
But Offaly scored three goals in the final 15 minutes of playing time as Conor Mahon, sub Ger Healion and Dooley were all on target.
The quality of hurling on show was generally poor and scrappy but there was a lively finish for 2,274 punters.
The visitors trailed by two points at half-time as Niall Moran and Sean Tobin netted for Limerick before the break.
The hosts led by 2-6 to 1-7 at the midway point and were in a good position with less than 15 minutes of normal time left.
But Offaly refused to die and Limerick finished the game with 14 men as corner back Tom Condon was sent off for a second bookable offence shortly after Offaly sub Sean Ryan was fouled for the late penalty.
Conor Mahon had given Offaly hope with a 58th minute goal before sub Ger Healion, who created Mahon’s goal, netted himself in the 65th minute.
Limerick rallied again, however, to lead by three points in stoppage time before Dooley’s late, late intervention.
Both teams had come into this tussle level on four points in Division 1B – having both collected two wins from their opening three matches.
Limerick’s campaign had started in nightmare fashion with a heavy home defeat against Clare but they have improved since then and would have fancied their chances before throw-in.
The first half was generally poor and error-ridden but still yielded three goals – two of them for the home side.
But Offaly struck first in the 13th minute when Derek Morkan’s long delivery into the Limerick full-back line broke nicely for Dooley, who lashed the loose ball past Nickie Quaid.
That goal effectively separated the sides for the next 15 minutes before Limerick hit two before half-time to open up a 2-6 to 1-7 interval lead.
Conor Allis knifed through the heart of the Offaly defence in the 28th minute with a surging run before placing Niall Moran for a neat improvised finish, as the full-forward batted the sliotar two-handed past James Dempsey.
And on the stroke of half-time, Dempsey was picking the ball out of his net again, this time from Limerick sub Sean Tobin, who was on the pitch less than ten minutes before shooting across the boughs of the Kinnitty netminder.
Offaly also had a first half goal ruled out, when Colin Egan was adjudged to have been in the square when he bundled the sliotar home after Brendan Murphy’s shot was well-saved by Nickie Quaid.
Limerick: N Quaid; S Walsh, R McCarthy, T Condon; W McNamara, D O’Grady, G O’Mahoney; P Browne 0-1, J Ryan; N Maher 0-1, D Breen 0-2, C Allis 0-4 (2f, 1 65); G Mulcahy 0-2, N Moran 1-0, T Quaid 0-3.
Subs: S Tobin 1-2 for Maher (27), K Downes for Moran (57), S O’Brien 0-1 for Breen (63), M Ryan for T Quaid (70+3).
Offaly: J Dempsey; C McDonald, D Kenny, S Wynne; D Morkan, R Hanniffy, D Franks; D Horan 0-1, J Rigney 0-2; J Bergin, C Mahon 1-0, B Murphy 0-2; S Dooley 2-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3f, 0-1 65, 0-1 sl), C Egan, J Mulrooney.
Subs: G Healion 1-0 for Egan (h.t.), S Coughlan for Wynne (h.t.), T Carroll for Mulrooney (49), S Ryan for Rigney (57), E Murphy for Hanniffy (70).
Referee: C McAllister (Cork).
