A cracking 60th-minute header by leading goal scorer Ted O'Connor gave Kilkenny City a deserved share of the points after Eoghan Carew had fired Kildare County in front after only two minutes.
The first half was poor but the second livened up and Philip Gorman though he had grabbed all three points when he headed home but the Kildare 'goal' was ruled out for offside.
Colin Bargary twice went close for Kilkenny and he was unlucky not to grab a winner in the last minute.
When County scored after only two minutes it looked like another goal glut between this pair was on the cards.
In two league games they had shared 12 goals in two 3-3 draws while a FAI Ford Cup clash between them saw O'Connor score the only goal at Station Road.
It was the same striker, Kilkenny’s leading scorer with eight goals, who hit the target in the 60th minute of this clash to give Kilkenny a deserved share of the spoils.
He rose highest to loop a Padraic Fogarty cross to the roof of Austin O'Neill's net.
It was Eoghan Carew who had fired the visitors to Buckley in front after a Fiachra McArdle cross in the second minute.
For the remainder of the first half both teams huffed and puffed with neither looking like blowing the house down.
The second period was more positive.
Philip Gorman, a former Kilkenny player had the ball in the Kilkenny net but the 'goal' was ruled out by a linesman's flag while young Colin Bargary went very close twice for City, his second a teasing low drive that greased an upright in the last minute of the game.
Michael Comerford had a good effort just over the Kildare crossbar.
On this display it is not surprising that both clubs are far removed from the business end of the league and with only ten games to go to the end of the season it does not look if their fortunes will change.
John Ryan's team should stay clear of the re-election zone but things are not looking good for Kilkenny who are three points behind their southeast rivals Wexford Youths.
But the fact that both clubs still have final round games left against title chasers Dundalk, Cobh Ramblers and Finn Harps should help to keep some sort of spark in the remainder of their seasons.
Kilkenny City: Lee Walker, Paraic Fogarty, Derek Loughnane, Thomas Hughes, Willie Tyrrell, John MacNicholas, Michael Comerford, Stephen Grant, Ted O'Connor, Colin Bargary, Timmy Kiely.
Subs: Aaron Ryan, Barry Ryan. Subs not used: Jody O’Grady, Simon Gaynor and Gary Lyons.
Kildare County: Austin O'Neill, Paul Donnelly, Darrem Stapleton, Eoghan Carew, Philip Byrne, Ian Malone, Stephen Cooling, Fiachra McArdle, Philip Gorman, Darragh Hannaphy, Cathal Brady.
Subs Stephen McCrossan, Dean Barrett, Mark Rigney. Subs not used: Paul Rigney, Thomas
Morgan. Booked: Stapleton and McCrossan.
Referee: Hugh Whoriskey (Dublin).
