John Horgan on hurling: Cork and Limerick showed why their summer rematch will be unmissable 

League games on a wretched Saturday night on the first weekend of February quickly turn into footnotes when the championship swings into action a couple of months later.

However, that's not dismissing them altogether, they can be important in their own right and a win is more beneficial than a loss, all the more so when both teams are putting a fair bit of emphasis on the experimental side of things.

For a league game at this very early juncture in the season, a lot of expectation and anticipation surrounded the collision of Cork and Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh last Saturday night.

In the days leading up to the fixture an attendance of over 30,000 was being mentioned but the desperate weather conditions on the night put paid to that kind of figure. There were 23,000-plus present and was a hell of a crowd for a league game. Did they get value for money?

Given the conditions that prevailed, the answer would probably be yes and there were not too many dissenting voices at the result, no winners, no losers and with the rivalry that has now been built up in recent times between the two counties that was relevant.

Such is now that rivalry both counties don't want to give even the slightest advantage to the other and in Limerick's case here, they did not want to lose a third competitive game on the trot to Cork.

SHOWDOWN

Both counties will have far bigger fish to fry when the Munster championship sets sail in April and their already eagerly awaited showdown in the Gaelic Grounds will be a far different story altogether, the stakes will be far higher.

Who was the happier of the two managers, Pat Ryan and John Kiely departing the Cork headquarters on Saturday night?

Given the fact that four of the game's last five scores belonged to Ryan's team, it could be said that the manner that Cork dug in in those closing sequences pleased the Cork management that bit more.

Entering those final minutes it did appear that with a four-point advantage, Limerick had done just about enough to secure the league points unless Cork could manufacture a second goal and that was never going to be an easy task with the very greasy ball.

In many ways, the closing few minutes were a bit similar to their championship epic last May when Limerick again had the advantage on the scoreboard coming down the home stretch but could not maintain it.

Kiely might have been annoyed that over two further minutes were put on to the seven allotted in added time but Cork foraged to the final puck and that was a real show of the deep character that Ryan is building in his squad.

It was a bit chaotic in the final minutes, Limerick trying desperately to hold what they had and Cork going after them in a manner that suggested that the league points were more important than they might be on other occasions.

It was a game of positives and negatives where both teams were concerned, the home team taking control on the scoreboard in the opening minutes and finding themselves 0-7 to 0-2 to the good inside the first quarter.

Cork were certainly in a better place at that stage, a couple of fine points from Luke Meade and Ethan Twomey getting the large home support firmly behind them. But it could be said that was as good as it got in that opening half and only one more point was secured before the break.

That must certainly have been a disappointment for the management, not being able to drive on that bit more and allowing Limerick to get a lot more of a grip as the half-aged.

But this was a night when any type of criticism should be measured when control of the ball was hugely difficult.

In the type of game that was unfolding, green flags were always going to be of great significance and Will O'Donoghue's effort for the visiting team was of great importance and it put Cork on the back foot as the opening half aged.

John Kiely must have been delighted to go to the dressing rooms two points to the good after being five in arrears earlier on. Conversely, Pat Ryan must have been disappointed with the twenty or so minutes when the umpires were not troubled to the extent that they were earlier.

SUPERBLY EXECUTED

As was the case with O'Donoghue's goal for Limerick in the opening half, Cork's effort in the 38th minute was equally significant and it was very well invented and superly executed by Shane Barrett.

The final delivery to the Blarney player before his execution came from Brian Hayes who was one of Cork's better forwards on the night. His contribution for the goal and a brace of points when no conversion was easy added up to his positive innings.

Ciarán Joyce continues his assertiveness in defence, growing taller and taller in the jersey with every outing and he is now the mainstay of this Cork rearguard without any shadow of a doubt.

On a night when it was desperately difficult for every player to exert any great influence, Darragh Fitzgibbon was another Cork player to make a very positive impact.

Nine of his 10 points arrived from the placed ball but it's imperative to factor in that the conditions made nothing easy for him no matter from what angle or distance. Many might have been surprised that Patrick Horgan did not take over the free-taking duties when he was introduced early in the game for the injured Padraig Power but on this occasion the Charleville player certainly delivered.

Mention of Power, it was very unfortunate for him to have to depart the proceedings so early in the contest, all the more so after his fine day's work in Wexford Park a week earlier Limerick fielded quite a number of players that we were not familiar with and one of them, left corner-forward Patrick O'Donovan made a big impression with a haul of four points.

Another newcomer, Aidan O'Connor rifled over a few tasty points as John Kiely opens the door for more players who he hopes might be involved further up the road.

We continue to stress about the conditions that prevailed and to a great extent the game was not what it could have been.

However, at times the endeavour and tackling was fierce enough and it became increasingly obvious that no team wanted to lose.

Kiely certainly didn't and his first-half booking demonstrated that he didn't want to be losing for the third time in a row to Cork.

He didn't this time and this ever-growing rivalry between the counties will intensify to a far higher level when their paths cross again.

Nothing lost here, nothing gained but Cork's final flourish to secure the draw was a definite crowd-pleaser as they headed for home.