Cork 1-27 Offaly 0-11:Cork inflicted more damage on Leinster's tarnished hurling reputation with this facile win at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday. Their impressive 19-point victory duly booked their quarter-final place and effectively ended Offaly's season.
Both teams enter the final qualifying round next weekend with contrasting missions. Cork meet Tipperary bidding to top the group and avoid the provincial champions in the last eight; Offaly have just pride to play for against Dublin in a dead rubber.
To have had any chance here, Offaly needed a good start when playing with a strong wind, but the home side settled quicker and the opening 11 minutes told us much about what lay in store for the crowd of 15,231.
The only goal came after just eight minutes, and that too reflected a worrying trend for Offaly. A dangerous ball from the left by Kieran Murphy (Sarsfields) should have been cleared by the defence only for Neil Ronan to nip in and rattle the net.
Three minutes later Cork swept forward once more and the impressive Joe Deane ghosted in behind a struggling full-back line to score a second goal, only to be brought back for a free, which he duly pointed.
It was only a temporary reprieve for Offaly, because Cork dominated every sector, using their greater craft and technique to telling effect against opponents who laboured by comparison.
Points flowed for Cork. Deane was a major threat inside, and his eye-of-the-needle pass from 50 metres to the unmarked Patrick Cronin led to Cork's eighth point after 24 minutes.
By the break Cork had swept 1-11 to 0-6 in front, Offaly remaining overly reliant on the free-taking of Damien Murray for their scores.
The wind dropped noticeably on the resumption and Offaly managed to grab three of six points in the opening nine minutes, 1-14 to 0-9, before Cork moved up a couple of gears.
They proceeded to score 10 points without reply, quashing any notions of an Offaly revival as a whole raft of players joined in target practice.
Such was Cork's dominance they could empty their bench, too, withdrawing the twins Ben and Jerry O'Connor and Deane long before the finish.
Cork supplied eight scorers, twice as many as Offaly, while scoring 1-17 from play, compared to their opponents' three points. Enough said.
CORK: D Óg Cusack; S Murphy, D O'Sullivan, C O'Connor; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; K Hartnett, J O'Connor; K Murphy (Erin's Own, capt, 0-2), B O'Connor (0-7, two frees, one 65), P Cronin (0-2); N Ronan (1-5, two frees), K Murphy (Sarsfields), J Deane (0-8, five frees). Subs: K Canty for B O'Connor (53 mins), T McCarthy (0-1) for J O'Connor (57 mins), C Naughton (0-1) for Cronin (60 mins), E Murphy (0-1) for Deane (63 mins), P Kelly for S Murphy (66 mins).
OFFALY: B Mullins; C Hernon, P Cleary, D Franks; K Brady, D Kenny, G Oakley; S Ryan, B Murphy (0-1); M Cordial (0-1, free), G Hanniffy, C Parlon; B Carroll, R Hanniffy (capt), D Murray (0-8, six frees, one 65). Subs: J Bergin for Carroll (25 mins), D Molloy for Parlon (34 mins), E Bevans (0-1) for Murray (50 mins), B Teehan for Franks (52 mins), S Dooley for R Hanniffy (62 mins).
Referee: E Morris (Dublin).
How They Stand
Group A
P W D L F A Pts
Clare 2 2 0 0 5-31 2-29 4
Galway 2 1 0 1 3-34 3-24 2
Antrim 2 1 0 1 3-38 4-34 2 Laois 2 0 0 2 2-27 4-43 0
Group Two
P W D L F A Pts
Cork 2 2 0 0 4-47 0-26 4 Tipperary 2 2 0 0 3-37 3-24 4
Offaly 2 0 0 2 2-24 3-44 0
Dublin 2 0 0 2 1-26 4-40 0
