Offaly prove they are still in the fast lane

Offaly 3-15: Johnny Dooley 0-9 (six frees, one 65), J Errity 1-1, G Hanniffy 11, B Murphy 1-0, Joe Dooley 0-2, J Troy 0-1, J Pilkington 0-1.

Wexford 1-8: L Murphy 1-2, P Codd 0-4 (two frees, one 65), M Jordan 0-1, M Storey 0-1.

Referee: W Barrett (Tipperary).

Booked: Offaly - M Duignan, Brian Whelahan, Johnny Dooley, J Errity. Wexford - S Flood, L Dunne, R Quigley, D Ryan. Sent Off: Offaly none; Wexford L Dunne (50 mins).

A cameo. Midway through the first half, at a time when things were even enough, Brian Whelahan chased and harried the Wexford forward Mitch Jordan and finally managed to dispossess his opponent and, as he has done in big matches for the best part of a decade, dispatched the ball to the other end of the field with a swing of swift elegance.

But it was his reaction that spoke loudest. Whelahan - a player who has done all there is to do in hurling - clenched his fist and raised it into the air. He wanted the deed to inspire his Offaly colleagues, to let them know that this Guinness Leinster semi-final was more than a mere match. That, in hurling terms, it was life or death.

Yesterday, in the heat of Croke Park on the sort of hot day robbed from the Mediterranean, Offaly had red-hot passion. Wexford, by contrast, were as cold as ice, a team without heart or inspiration. And that was the primary difference: Offaly played as if they didn't want to lose, Wexford as if they didn't know how to win.

In over 100 years of competition, Offaly have never recorded such a comfortable win over Wexford in championship hurling. Yet, their eventual 13-point winning margin yesterday was utterly deserved and, even before Wexford's Liam Dunne was dismissed in the 50th minute, for a rash challenge on John Troy (having already found his way into referee Willie Barrett's book in the first half), the writing was well and truly on the wall for a Wexford side who turned in an abject display.

Part of the answer to Wexford's inability to perform rests with the way that Offaly - despite losing Kevin Martin with a hamstring injury after only eight minutes - bonded in defence. Simon Whelahan had an outstanding game at corner back and his brother Brian was inspirational. When Dunne was sent off, Brian Whelahan effectively became the "extra man" and mopped up everything. In goal, Stephen Byrne was confident and self-assured.

The anticipated battle around centrefield, however, never materialised. Rod Guiney and Adrian Fenlon were largely outplayed by their opposite numbers. In particular, Johnny Dooley, who has had many fine days in this stadium, had another good one yesterday and was very much the talisman for Offaly's success. His contribution of nine points was matched by an equal amount of hard graft.

There were so many curious aspects to the Wexford performance, almost as if they had left their gameplan back in the dressingroom. Perhaps the strangest thing of all was the insistence of freetaker Paul Codd on going for goal with any close-range free. On one occasion, just before half-time, it did pay off when Larry Murphy scrambled home his side's goal after Codd's initial shot was blocked. But three other times, when a point would have provided huge benefit to Wexford, Codd's blasts at goal were blocked and cleared.

From early on, it was apparent that Offaly were fired up - and always in control. In the 20th minute, debutante Brendan Murphy caught some of the Offaly spirit. Diving and swinging his hurley in one continuous motion, Murphy flashed the ball to the net to finish a move that had been started back in his own backline by Brian Whelahan and also involved Johnny Pilkington and Joe Errity before the half forward dived through a cluster of bodies to get the vital touch.

Wexford were struggling to stay in touch. They got a lifeline a minute before the break when Larry Murphy grabbed their goal, but it was a chance for redemption that wasn't taken. Although Murphy was one of the few Wexford forwards to make any inroads after the break - scoring two points in the opening 10 minutes of the half - the greater impetus continued to come from the Offaly men.

Dunne's dismissal, at a time when his side were five points in arrears, merely strengthened Offaly's hand. "You could see their heads drop," acknowledged Johnny Dooley afterwards. Indeed, whatever life Wexford had in their bodies seemed to be sucked out of them at that moment and, with Whelahan playing the loose-man role to perfection, the traffic was mainly oneway thereafter.

Errity, who had an, at times, fractious match-up with his marker Darragh Ryan, killed off the game with Offaly's second goal in the 58th minute and there was further icing on the cake for Offaly five minutes from time when Gary Hanniffy pounced onto a broken ball and crashed it to the net past a defenceless Damien Fitzhenry.

This was a poor day for Wexford. Over 10 minutes before the end many of their supporters had already witnessed enough and were filing out of the exits.

Pat Fleury, the Offaly manager, seemed almost as surprised by the ease of it all. In the dressing-room afterwards, he conceded: "I didn't know what was going to happen, or how we would play. But we've been working since last October for this game and the win means we have given ourselves two chances (for the All-Ireland). At least we are guaranteed two more games."

What about Leinster final opponents Kilkenny? "I haven't looked an inch further than today, but I do think we will have to improve in all sectors for that one."

But Offaly could savour yesterday's win, and the manner of it. "The only way to test yourself is to go out there on match day and perform," said Johnny Dooley. "You can't go by what happens on the training pitch. We'll be long enough retired, these are the sort of days we live for."