Offaly 3-14 Waterford 0-15: Offaly reached the quarter-finals with a fully merited eight-point victory over Waterford at St Brendan's Park, Birr, yesterday.

A brilliant first-half performance by Offaly set them on their way, as they outscored their opponents by 2-10 to 0-4. Waterford were struggling and never looked like closing the gap significantly in the second half.

And the visitors were reduced to 14 men after 57 minutes when Eoin Kelly was given a straight red card for a pull across Mick O'Hara. Ironically, Kelly had been one of the few Waterford players to play up to standard and had scored five points before his dismissal.

Offaly looked far sharper and more committed than their opponents and they took the game to Waterford from the very start. The visiting side looked lethargic and it took them 26 minutes to get their first score from play.

The six starting Waterford forwards managed only a single point from play and eight of their 15 points came from placed balls.

In contrast, seven Offaly players scored from play and 3-10 of their final total was from play. They picked off points at crucial stages in the second half to keep well ahead on the scoresheet.

The sides exchanged a brace of points each in the first seven minutes before Offaly grabbed the first goal. Joe Bergin caught a high ball from Alan Egan and finished it to the net.

Offaly added four points over the next seven minutes to stretch their lead to seven points. After a further exchange of scores that was still the gap five minutes before half-time when Brendan Murphy put Alan Egan through to score Offaly's second goal. Brian Carroll and Dylan Hayden added points and Offaly led by 2-10 to 0-4 at half-time.

Kelly scored two early points in the second half to give his side hope, but the crucial score came in the ninth minute when Bergin cut through to fire home Offaly's third goal.

Waterford managed to reduce the lead, but the goal they needed never looked like coming and their misery was compounded when Kelly was sent off.

Offaly now face neighbours Tipperary in the quarter-finals next weekend.

OFFALY: S O'Connor; B O'Meara, P Cleary, D Franks; K Brady, R Hanniffy, D Tanner; G Hanniffy (0-2), M Cordial; D Hayden (0-2), M O'Hara (0-1), B Murphy; B Carroll (0-5), J Bergin (2-3), A Egan (1-0). Subs: D Murray for Egan, A Hanrahan (0-1) for Cordial, C Parlon for Carroll, G Oakley for Brady, P Molloy for G Hanniffy.

WATERFORD: C Hennessy; T Feeney, J Murray, D Coffey; B Phelan, K McGrath (0-2), E Murphy; E Kelly (0-5), J Hartley; D Shanahan, J Kennedy, M Walsh; J Mullane, S Prendergast, P Flynn (0-7). Subs: T Browne for Feeney, E McGrath for Shanahan, G O'Connor (0-1) for Kennedy, S O'Sullivan for Hartley.

Referee: P O'Connor (Limerick).