Limerick 37 had to be content with a share of the spoils following a battling performance from Kildare County at Jackman Park.
However, the hosts were left to rue a missed penalty late in the second half as former Lims keeper Austin O'Neill dived to his right to keep out Kevin Waters spot kick.
Padraig Moran almost edged Lims in front inside the opening five minutes with a low drive from a Wayne Colbert cross from the right which flashed inches wide.
Conor McDonald went closest for the visitors in a desperately disappointing opening 45 minutes rifling a 20-yard-drive over the bar on the stroke of half-time.
Limerick opened the second half brightly with Derek McCarthy combining with Tommy Barrett on the edge of the box but the latter's shot was always rising.
At the other end Dave Ryan did well to hold onto a Philip Gorman shot from outside the area.
Derek McCarthy headed wide minutes later after a Kevin Waters corner was allowed drift across the penalty area.
But the Thoroughbreds almost edged in front just after the hour mark when Gorman’s flick from inside the area was finger tipped out for a corner by Ryan.
Two minutes later Lims captain Pat Purcell redeemed his own error when he got back to get his body in front of a Gorman shot on the penalty spot.
The Blues had a glorious opportunity to edge ahead in the 77th minute when the ref pointed to the spot after Alan Byrne was harshly adjudged to have handled Robbie Kelleher’s volley.
But former Limerick keeper Austin O'Neill kept out Waters penalty on a frustrating night for Paul Magee's side.
Limerick 37: Ryan, Keady, Buckley, Finucane, Purcell, Molan, Colbert (Cosgrave 60) Barrett, McCarthy (Kelleher 60) Waters, Moran (Danagher 74)
Kildare County: O'Neill, Byrne, Clancy, Malone, Donnelly, Carew, Cooling, Stapleton, McArole (Kavanagh 88) Gorman, McDonald (Barrett 84)
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin)
