Limerick advanced to Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC qualifier third round draw, after winning a competitive clash against Offaly by 3-13 to 0-15 at the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday afternoon.
Corner forward Ian Ryan hit 1-7 as the Treaty County bounced back from their Munster semi-final trouncing by Kerry, with Seamus O’Carroll and Ger Collins also finding the net. Offaly shot too many wides as they relied on the free-taking of Ciaran McManus and ultimately came up short.
Both sides traded wasteful wides before Collins opened the scoring for Limerick. As Maurice Horan’s side started well they then hit the bar through Stephen Kelly before Alan Mulhall kept out O’Carroll’s follow-up.
Points from Ken Casey and John Coughlan saw the lead change hands, but soon the Faithful were very much on the back foot because of a couple of quickfire Treaty goals.
Stephen Lavin played a big part in the first as he made a ferocious run forward before playing in Ryan. The sometimes lethal forward then beat Sean Pender with a fierce turn of pace before sending an expert finish across Mulhall’s goal and in at the far corner.
Collins tagged on a point before Limerick added another goal. Ryan was again involved as he picked up possession with Offaly floundering at the back. He then noted O’Carroll’s powerful run, picking out his team-mate whose low finish made it 2-2 to 0-2.
Mulhall had to be at his best to deny Kelly a third Limerick goal, but a double dose of points from Ryan put Horan’s men eight clear.
Tom Cribbin’s men regrouped and began to create chances of their own. Several of them were kicked wide, but two from the wily McManus and another from Bernard Allen cut the gap.
Ryan brought his tally to 1-3 before another three unanswered points from Offaly, two from McManus frees before Niall Darby culled his own wide habit to make it 0-8 to Limerick’s 2-5 at half-time.
Just like the first half, the second period started with the sides exchanging wides, with Niall McNamee and Lavin the guilty parties. It was Ryan who got the first score of the half, with McNamee responding and Faithful sub Padraig Bracken finishing off a well-worked move to get Offaly that bit closer.
Ryan and Kelly got two on the trot for Limerick with Brian Darby and Casey replying in kind for Cribbin’s side, only for Ryan to restore a lead of three – 2-9 to 0-12.
Another McManus free made the Offaly deficit two again, but two became four when Ballylanders’ Tom Lee finished off a fine team move with a point and Kelly sent over a free. But McManus would still not yield and pointed twice more to halve that gap yet again.
The home side were beset with nerves now, but Offaly gifted them some breathing space with less than ten minutes left, losing possession to the hungry Kelly in the middle of the field. He sent Collins away and the Monaleen man tore clear before firing beyond Mulhall for a five-point lead.
Eoin Hogan and Ryan then brought the scoring to an end to leave the Limerick fans happy ahead of their hurling game with Antrim later in the day. Offaly’s season is over in both codes.