An authoritative day powdered with occasional sorcery for this most puzzling bunch of All-Ireland champions, a dark hour for Limerick which left Eamon Cregan trailing remorsefully to the dressing-room. "Disgraceful display. I will not say anymore," he murmured. That said it all.
Limerick trotted out onto the pitch, leathered over three points from play in the first 10 minutes, added a fourth through a Mike Galligan free six minutes later and then promptly vanished. It took them another 30 minutes, incredibly, to trouble the umpires again, this a Shane O'Neill point which left matters at 1-10 to 0-5 with just 14 minutes remaining.
Only their stunning succession of wides left the statisticians with any proof of their actual presence in St Brendan's Park, Birr, for much of the afternoon. After sending seven shots astray in the first half, the visitors really went to town over the closing half hour, belting eight scoreable chances anywhere bar where counted.
Mike Galligan, who shot lightning bolts against Antrim a fortnight ago, was as fallible as the rest and was retired early by Cregan.
Midfielder Ollie Moran did battle gamely around the fringes, but Offaly's sudden decision to hurl again seemed to have been partly sparked by Michael Duignan's midfield flawlessness. The nominal corner-forward traded places with Paudge Mulhare at the outset and gave Brian Tobin a torrid old time of it, breaking and scavenging for loose ball, setting John Troy, Johnny Dooley & Co from the traps with deep ball and generally yielding nothing.
Meanwhile, the Offaly back six seem to get stingier as the weather grows finer. Although Limerick's TJ Ryan, Shane O'Neill and Galligan did exert considerable pressure on the Offaly half-back trio for the first quarter, the life-force was all but sucked out of Limerick by the break. The Whelahan brothers, Kevin Martin, Martin Hanamy - they broke hearts in packs, hooking and blocking and being general nuisances. And as the front men began to run the diagonals, we suddenly remembered what Offaly are about again.
"At least we're back to the type of hurling we played last year," grinned a clearly enthused Michael Bond. "Other than that, we won. What more to say? We are like thoroughbreds. We go on good ground only."
Still, the first half goal which really ripped the contest open came down to pragmatism. John Ryan's attempted point was half clipped and the ball spun over the last line of defence. John Troy was the one player Cregan must have wished it wouldn't fall to. It fell to John Troy. Sleight of wrist, rustle of net. Duignan sailed to collect Joe Quaid's puc out and nailed another score. The midlands heard earnest cheer for the first time since September.
Although Ciaran Carey tried to impose some sort of will on proceedings, throwing himself about and occasionally embarking on those thrilling, splay-footed centre-field runs, it was all Offaly. Mulhare, Ryan and Duignan formed a triangle of passes before Troy flicked the wand again, and then Mulhare whipped over a distance shot to leave the score at 1-7 to 0-4 at the turnaround.
Limerick did rediscover a little of their ability to apply pressure for about 10 minutes after the resumption, but they were so pitiful in converting that they looked cursed.
OFFALY: S Byrne; S Whelahan, J Errity, M Hanamy; B Whelahan (0-1), H Rigney, K Martin; P Mulhare (0-1), J Pilkington; J Dooley (0- 8, 4 frees), J Ryan, C Cassidy (0-1); B Dooley, J Troy (1-2), M Duignan (0-1).
LIMERICK: J Quaid; S McDonagh, B Begley, B Geary; D Clarke, C Carey, M Foley; O Moran (0-2), B Tobin; TJ Ryan, S O'Neill (0-3), M Galligan (0-1, free); J Moran, M Houlihan (0- 1), B Foley. Substitutes: J Foley for B Tobin (half-time), G Kirby for M Galligan (39 mins), M O'Brien for TJ Ryan (49 mins).
Referee: J McDonnell (Tipperary).
