Offaly go forward in sweet harmony

All-Ireland SHC Qualifier/Offaly 1-18 Limerick 0-14: The GAA's first venture into midweek championship matches might have met a muted response from the public, with just over 12,000 in attendance at Semple Stadium, but the match itself was entertaining and lively until the final 10 minutes, when Offaly pulled away for a deservedly comfortable win and qualification for the quarter-finals of the Guinness All-Ireland hurling championship at the end of the month.

Although the winners struggled to put the match away, their overall play was well superior to Limerick's.

Their tight and disciplined defence got the upper hand on their opponents and their attack created constant problems for Limerick's beleaguered backs.

"It was very disappointing," said defeated manager Dave Keane. "We tried hard but Offaly deserved it on the day. They played a very good brand of hurling. The goal was the difference. The closest we got to them in the second half was two points.

"I believe the team has more in them. If we had got a win we would have blossomed. We're not good losers, we're not used to losing."

This reference to Keane's underage success with many of last night's players was all the more poignant on the ground where so many of those under-21 triumphs had taken place. But it also served as a counterpoint to the Limerick manager's conviction that he could immediately transfer that success to senior level.

If this talented cohort of players can learn from the experience they will certainly be back in the years ahead. But the discipline and often monastic dedication that is a sine qua non of success at senior level represents a considerable step up on what is required at underage.

Offaly have brought home virtually no silverware in the younger grades for over a decade but their players stuck to the game plan and the team gave a structured performance, which enabled them control much of yesterday's match.

Limerick tried a manual's worth of running repairs, with only Andrew O'Shaughnessy of the forwards remaining in the same position throughout. In the second half they lacked the scoring power to breach Offaly's defence and only careless finishing kept the result in question for as long as it was.

Offaly manager Michael McNamara will be very happy with the display as well as the result. Reaching the quarter-finals represents a good season's work for the Scarriff man and from now on there won't be the same pressure as the prospective opposition gets tougher. In fact McNamara was savouring the possibilities.

"I don't really care who we get. We want big games and with a bit of luck we will get Tipperary. And we'll play them wherever they want," he said.

Describing Limerick's performance as "a little disjointed", McNamara went on to dismiss the notion that the disagreement with the Whelahan brothers had been a distraction.

"We had a wonderful night down here earlier in the week," he said of the training session organised in Thurles on Monday night, "and there was never any question of the Whelahans not playing for Offaly."

Yesterday evening all harmony appeared to have been restored. Simon didn't come on until the final quarter but played well and scored a point. Barry was overshadowed in the first half by Clem Smith, who took two long-range scores, but after the break Whelahan scored two himself. Brian as usual found centre back not entirely to his liking. He hurled his usual supply but both Niall Moran and James O'Brien also got their share of the ball.

Curiously Limerick sent the returned Ciarán Carey on as a replacement to play on Whelahan and his lack of sharpness allowed the Offalyman hoover up possession. This wasn't the only debatable tactical call by Limerick. For a long time Peter Lawlor laboured in Brendan Murphy's slipstream and few who witnessed his travail could understand why a switch wasn't made. Eventually Murphy moved to midfield. Similarly Brian Geary struggled to match Gary Hanniffy under high ball.

It was just six minutes into the match that Murphy struck for the crucial goal. It was a long solo run during which he was allowed to lose and regain the ball before bursting through the middle and kicking into the net. This provided Offaly with a cushion for the whole match.

Limerick responded, shooting nice points from Donnacha Sheehan - who had Niall Claffey in trouble - Smith and Niall Moran. But already certain things were clear. Andrew O'Shaughnessy, the teenager who had demonstrated a mature goal threat in the championship against Waterford, was well marked by the exceptional David Franks and, after a switch, by Claffey. That combined with an indifferent supply to curb the threat.

Leading by 1-9 to 0-10 at the break, Offaly restarted strongly with replacement Conor Gath hitting a point within a couple of minutes. There were goal opportunities that came to nothing. Timmy Houlihan saved a footrush attack in the 45th minute and at the other end Ollie Moran was hooked by Claffey when thundering through the middle.

As well as several wides from good point-scoring opportunities, there were other close calls. A couple of poor hand-passes ruined further Offaly goal chances for Simon Whelahan and Brian Carroll. Limerick's last score came in the 59th minute from John Meskell to cut the deficit to two and had their free taking been better they might have been closer.

But Offaly finally got into their stride to blow over five unanswered points and put the issue beyond doubt.

OFFALY: 1. B Mullins; 2. N Claffey, 3. Ger Oakley, 4. D Franks; 5. J Brady, 6. Brian Whelahan (0-1, 65), 7. C Cassidy; 10. M Cordial, 9. Barry Whelahan (0-2); 20. N Coughlan, 11. G Hanniffy, 12. B Murphy (1-3); 13. B Carroll (0-2); 14. J Errity, 15. R Hanniffy (0-7, 4 frees). Subs: 18. S Browne for Coughlan (30 mins), 23. C Gath (0-2) for Cordial (half-time), 21. S Whelahan (0-1) for Errity (51 mins), 22. M O'Hara for Brady (69 mins).

LIMERICK: 1. T Houlihan; 2. D Reale, 3. TJ Ryan, 4. S McDonagh; 5. P Lawlor, 6. B Geary, 7. M Foley; 8. J Meskell (0-1, free), 9. C Smith (0-2); 10. C Fitzgerald (0-5, 3 frees), 11. N Moran (0-2), 12. J Moran; 13. A O'Shaughnessy (0-1), 25. J O'Brien (0-1), 15. D Sheehan (0-2). Subs: 22. O Moran for J Moran (30 mins), 29. C Carey for N Moran (43 mins), 24. M O'Brien for McDonagh (51 mins), 20. E Foley for Fitzgerald (57 mins), 27. S Lucey for Sheehan (61 mins).

Referee: M Wadding (Waterford).