Aaron Gillane pointed a free in the fifth minute of injury-time to snatch a draw for All-Ireland champions Limerick against the only team to beat them in last year’s championship.

The summer game always looks strange when the players’ breath is visible in small clouds at every facemask.

A crowd of 3,224 is not what you expect for a first-round Munster SHL fixture on a cold and, at times, wet evening in mid-December. Then again, this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill pre-season blowout.

Mike Casey is named at full-back on the Limerick team for tomorrow’s Munster SHC clash with Cork, the sole change to the side which overcame Tipperary.

Meanwhile, Tipperary hurling manager Michael Ryan has handed a first league start to corner-forward Cian Darcy.

Limerick remain on course for a winner take all final league game with Galway on March 4 after John Kiely’s side made it three from three with a comfortable win over Dublin at the Gaelic Grounds.

Limerick 1-26 Dublin 0-17: Limerick maintained their 100% record in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1B by comprehensively beating Dublin 1-26 to 0-17 at the Gaelic Grounds.

The Tipperary team to face Wexford in tomorrow’s Allianz Hurling League shows five changes from the side which overcame Waterford the weekend before last.

Offaly’s devastating performance against Dublin at Croke Park in the first round of the Allianz Hurling League was a distant memory yesterday as they were swatted aside by Limerick at Bórd na Móna O’Connor Park.

Limerick 1-24 Westmeath 0-18: Plenty of questions have been asked of Limerick since they crashed out of the Munster championship at the hands of 14-man Tipperary, but after another test of their mettle in Mullingar, Limerick are just one win from an All-Ireland quarter-final.

Offaly 0-14 Limerick 1-19: Limerick’s Shannonside derby clash with Clare in a fortnight’s time will be a promotion showdown regardless of results next weekend after Limerick eased to an eight-point win over Offaly at O’Connor Park in Tullamore yesterday.

Jackie Tyrrell makes his first since last year’s Leinster final as one of five changes to the Kilkenny side for tomorrow’s Allianz HL Division 1A clash with Galway at Nowlan Park tomorrow (2pm).

Brian Cody has made four changes to the Kilkenny side for today’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A clash with Tipperary in Nowlan Park (throw-in 2pm).

Limerick 2-23 Wexford 0-15: There was a time in the third quarter at a wet and dreary Gaelic Grounds on Saturday night when you suspected that the teams had just swapped playing kits at half-time, rather than changing ends.

Limerick got their latest drive for promotion from Division 1B off to an encouraging start as they led from pillar to post in wet and cold conditions at the Gaelic Grounds.

Declan Hannon and Seamus Hickey have been returned to the Limerick hurling team for tomorrow evening’s qualifier clash against Dublin.

Limerick 4-15 Westmeath 1-12

Allianz HL Division 1 quarter-finals

Allianz Football League leaders Cork have included all three O’Driscoll brothers for Sunday’s table-topping clash with Mayo.

For the second year in a row, Offaly have brought an end to Limerick’s promotion aspirations in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League.

Wexford 3-18, Limerick 4-1

Paul Galvin’s return to action for Kerry will have to wait for at least another week, as he wasn’t included in the squad to face Cork in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League at Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday (2pm).

Tipperary manager Peter Creedon has been slapped with a one-match touchline ban for his recent criticism of referee David Coldrick.

Jimmy Barry-Murphy has kept faith with the Cork side that bowed out of last year’s Championship by reinstating all but three of them for tomorrow’s Allianz League opener.

Cork 1-16 Limerick 3-20: Waterford Crystal Cup final: Sometimes the positives are too many to ignore, writes Eoghan Cormican

Limerick 0-22 UCC 1-17: Waterford Crystal Cup SHC semi-final: Limerick ensured an early season repeat of the last two Munster SHC finals in next weekend’s Waterford Crystal Cup decider with this two point semi-final win over UCC.

Limerick 2-15 Waterford 1-15

Kilkenny 2-13 Limerick 0-17

Limerick hurling captain Donal O’Grady returns at centre-forward for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Kilkenny.

Limerick 4-26 Wexford 1-11

Tipperary have named an unchanged line-up for Sunday’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final clash with Dublin this weekend.