NFL DIVISION THREE Wexford 1-21 Offaly 2-5:WEXFORD enjoyed a comfortable afternoon as they strolled to a very easy win over Offaly in Tullamore yesterday, to stay firmly in the chase for promotion.

The better team throughout the field, Wexford played some incisive attacking football but they will be taking into account the very meagre resistance from Offaly when they reflect on their afternoon’s work.

After a tentative opening spell, Wexford soon hit top gear and were ahead by 0-8 to 0-1 after 27 minutes and went in at the interval leading by 0-10 to 0-3.

A quick Ken Casey goal gave Offaly hope, but it was only a brief respite. Wexford pulled away again with Adrian Flynn and PJ Banville inflicting most damage as they went into a 0-16 to 1-3 lead.

Bernard Allen got a well-taken consolation goal for Offaly but again it was only a temporary reprieve as Wexford stepped on the gas again and they put a gloss on their afternoon with an injury -time goal from Shane Roche.

WEXFORD: T Hughes; R Tierney, G Molloy, B Malone; A Flynn (0-2), D Murphy, A Doyle (0-1); A Shore, D Waters; R Barry (0-1), C Morris, B Brosnan (0-5, four frees); C Lyng (0-4, frees), S Roche (1-2), PJ Banville (0-5). Subs: C Carty for Murphy (50 mins), L Shin for Morris (50), R Quinlivan for Shore (59 mins), P Kelly for Lyng (59 mins), M O'Leary (0-1) for Banville (62 mins).

OFFALY: A Mulhall; J Gallagher, J Moloney, P Boland; L Hiney, P McConway, D Kelly; N Smith, B Connor (0-2); J Keane, A McNamee, N Dunne (0-3, three frees); A Sullivan, W Mulhall, K Casey (1-0). Subs: N McNamee for Hiney (ht), B Allen (1-0) for Sullivan (ht), K Lynam for McConway (38), G Treacy for W Mulhall (59 mins).

Referee: P Hughes(Armagh).