Neighbours Clare and Limerick played out a dramatic 2-11 to 1-14 draw at wintry Ennis this afternoon.

With snow, wind and rain sweeping across Cusack Park, Aaron Gillane’s pointed free in the sixth minute of injury time was enough to deny the Banner County the victory they so desperately craved, second-half goals from Shane Golden and Peter Duggan so nearly working the oracle for the home side.

Staged in front of 8,403 freezing souls, this was a magnificent derby encounter played at full pelt in testing conditions – another great advertisement for the ancient game.

The point secured is enough to guarantee the All-Ireland champions a top-place finish on the final 1A table and a quarter-final meeting next weekend with Laois, who finished fourth in Division 1B, despite losing to Dublin today.

Clare finish their programme on five points, which should be enough to see them through to the last eight, a level of uncertainty still prevailing as today’s last-round 1A clashes between Cork and Tipperary and Wexford V Kilkenny were postponed, leaving a multitude of final-standing permutations still possible. However, the only way Clare can be eliminated is if both the rearranged fixtures also finish in draws or if Wexford and Kilkenny draw and Cork win...

The visitors - playing into the mini-blizzard - slotted the last four points before the break to lead by 1-7 to 0-6 at half time, Gearoid Hegarty’s goal following a rare David McInerney misjudgement the key score of the opening period.

Tony Kelly opened the scoring in the first minute and Golden was on hand to double the Banner lead four minutes later but Hegarty’s opportunist goal propelled the Liam MacCarthy Cup holders ahead in the seventh minute, Gillane following up with a pointed free two minutes later.

Duggan’s well-struck free halved the deficit but Gillane hit back from another free before Diarmuid Ryan and Kyle Hayes traded points. On 20 minutes, Duggan arrowed over his second free to again close the gap to a single point, 1-3 to 0-5.

Pockets of water lying around the pitch and wet snow falling from the sky, Duggan tied the scores up from a free ten minutes from the break but Colin Ryan (‘65’) restored the Treaty County’s lead in the 28th minute, Paddy O’Loughlin following up with a tidy point.

Peter Casey and Gillane (free) made it four Limerick points without reply as the visitors led by as many at the short whistle.

The Banner County made an electrifying start to the second half when Golden gathered possession 30 metres out and left a trail of Limerick players in his wake to plant the ball in the back of the net. Within second, the sides were level thanks to Podge Collins’ point.

Gillane’s brace of frees nudged the Treaty back in front but the All Star attacker then saw his penalty brilliantly saved by Donal Tuohy, although Casey was on hand to gather and fire over the rebound, 1-10 to 1-7. Midway through the second half, Duggan’s next free brought the deficit back to three after Casey had added to his tally.

Ryan and Duggan (free) registered to leave a point between them with ten minutes left and the match exploded to life when Duggan took a pass from Golden to strike for a second Clare goal in the 53rd minute – 2-10 to 1-11.

Limerick refused to give up and Gillane drilled over a couple of frees either side of a Duggan one to twice reduce the arrears to the minimum in the closing minutes of normal time.

Exchanges fierce and frantic, five minutes of injury time were added and Gillane landed the leveller late on.

Clare - D Tuohy; R Hayes, D McInerney, J Browne; D Fitzgerald, C Cleary, P O’Connor; S Golden (1-1), C Galvin; P Duggan (1-6, 0-6f), T Kelly (0-1), D Ryan (0-2); P Collins, N Deasy, I Galvin. Subs: G Cooney (0-1) for I Galvin, O O’Brien for D McInerney, C Malone for P O’Connor, A McCarthy for N Deasy, A Shanagher for D Ryan.

Limerick - N Quaid; R English, S Finn, T Condon; P O’Loughlin (0-1), D Hannon, D Morrissey; C Lynch, C Ryan (0-1'65); G Hegarty (1-0), K Hayes (0-1), T Morrissey; A Gillane (0-8f), S Flanagan, P Casey (0-3). Subs: W O’Meara for S Finn, D O’Donovan for C Ryan, G Mulcahy for S Flanagan, D Dempsey for G Hegarty, S Dowling for T Morrissey.

Referee - P O’Dwyer.

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