Offaly showed Kilkenny no mercy as they stormed their way into the quarter-finals of the Leinster minor football championship with a 7-30 to 0-2 victory.
Powered by a top class first-half performance from corner forward Shane Tierney, the Faithful County blasted their way to a 49-point annihilation in Urlingford on Saturday.
Following points from captain Ruairi McNamee, three Tierney goals meant Offaly already led by 3-8 to no-score after the first quarter and there was no way back for Kilkenny.
Hard-fought
Reigning Leinster champions Kildare advanced after a hard-fought 1-12 to 1-8 victory over a wasteful Westmeath in a repeat of last year's provincial final played in glorious conditions at Mullingar .
The home team started the brighter and should have been much more than two points to the good (0-4 to 0-2) at the end of the first quarter.
A converted free by Seán Dempsey and a superb individual point from Rory Feely had Kildare on level terms by the 24th minute when an opportunist goal from Dempsey put them into a lead they never looked likely to relinquish.
At the break, the Lilywhites led by 1-6 to 0-4.
Kildare were a goal to the good (1-7 to 0-7) when Westmeath’s influential midfielder Fergal Hynes missed a glorious goal opportunity in the 39th minute.
The visitors looked comfortable when leading by seven points with just six minutes remaining, but a late bundled goal from corner back Darragh Healy and the black carding of the winners’ substitute Matthew Kelly made for a tense climax, with Kildare deservedly holding on.
Wexford made light work of Louth in sunny Drogheda, running out 3-15 to 2-5 winners. Wexford led 1-11 to 0-1 at the break and while Ryan Burns spearheaded a brief Louth revival after the re-start, converting a free and following up with a brilliantly-taken goal, the visitors hit back with three quick points from Ian Carty, Glen Malone and Ben Cowman, to make it 1-14 to 1-2 just seven minutes into the second period.
A second goal from the superb Séamus Casey put the issue beyond doubt.
At Páirc Uí Mhordha in Portlaoise, Laois saw off Carlow by 0-14 to 0-5 in a tame encounter.
Thriller
Seven years ago these neighbours clashed in the Leinster minor final and Laois won a thriller.
Since then neither team has reached a decider and on the evidence of Saturday’s performance neither will threaten any of the big teams in the province.
Laois laid the foundations for victory in the opening half with some good points by David Aston, Tom Shiel and defender Pat O’Sullivan.
Carlow were slow to settle but points from Reece Denieffe Shane O’Neill, James Furey and Niall Lowry kept them in touch but the home team finished strongly with points from Pat O’Sullivan, Tom Shiel and Trevor Collins and went to the break leading 0-11 to 0-4.
