Kerry pick the wrong time to visit Offaly

National Hurling League Division Two: Showing five changes in personnel and a couple of positional switches from the side that suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Carlow the previous week, Offaly had something to prove against Kerry in a match that was switched from Birr to Tullamore yesterday.

And prove it they did, routing the visitors by a massive margin of 33 points - 8-22 to 2-7.

Kerry made two late changes to their selected side, with Eamon Fitzgerald and Darren Young replacing DJ Brennan and Errol Tuohy, while Offaly lined out as named on the programme.

The visitors' fate was sealed by half-time. Having played with the wind, Kerry found themselves trailing at the break by 3-8 to 0-5, the Offaly goals coming from Rory Hanniffy in the 23rd and 31st minutes and Cathal Parlon in injury-time.

Indiscipline added to Kerry's woes - they lost Andrew Keane, Eamon Fitzgerald and Michael Cronin through yellow cards in the 23rd, 25th and 27th minutes.

And there was no respite for Kerry on the resumption. Within 26 seconds corner forward Damien Murray struck for a fourth home goal.

While Kerry's most prolific scorer Michael Conway crashed 20-metre frees to the Offaly net in the 39th and 50th minutes, his second goal proved to be his side's final score.

Joe Brady scored a hat-trick of goals for Offaly during the second half, with Murray and Rory Hanniffy also finding the net.

The match at Tullamore was the only Division Two, promotion section, game to be played at the weekend as both the Derry v Carlow and Westmeath v Meath ties were called off because of the bad weather.

OFFALY: B Mullins; N Claffey, B Teehan, D Franks; K Brady, A McRedmond, C Cassidy; D Hoctor (0-1), M Cordial; B Murphy (0-2), R Hanniffy (2-3), G Hanniffy (0-2); C Parlon (1-3), J Brady (4-1), D Murray (1-8, 0-4 from frees). Subs: S Browne for McRedmond (51 mins), B Carroll (0-1) for Murray (54 mins), P Mulhare for K Brady (56 mins), N Coughlan for Hoctor (56 mins), A Hanrahan (0-1) for Parlon (59 mins), M Corcoran for Cordial (61 mins).

KERRY: B Harris; E Fitzgerald, A Healy, M Cronin; B Flaherty, C Harris, A Keane; E Sheehy, J Griffin; I McCarthy (0-3), D Young, T Murnane; M Conway (2-3, 2-2 from frees), J M Dooley (0-1), J E Egan. Subs: P McCarthy for Keane (23 mins), B Blackwell for Fitzgerald (25 mins), P Lyons for Cronin (27 mins), E Tuohy for C Harris (half-time), D Dineen for Murnane (56 mins).

Referee: D Connolly (Kilkenny).

* In the Division Three promotion section, it was all one-way traffic at McHale Park yesterday, with Mayo registering a 30-point, 5-21 to 0-6, victory.

This victory puts Mayo in a very strong position in their challeng for promotion, as they face Tyrone in their final game where a win would put them into the Division Three league final.