A superb Galway, taking inspiration from dual player David Tierney in midfield, overwhelmed an off-colour Offaly with a third-quarter scoring-blitz in the All-Ireland under-21 hurling semi-final before 4,000 people at the Gaelic Grounds last evening.
There was nothing to suggest at the halfway stage that the Leinster champions were about to be whitewashed.
Even though Galway had the better of matters territorially they were hanging in at 0-7 to 0-6.
However, the game changed dramatically after 36 minutes when David Tierney, who will be a member of the Galway football panel at Croke Park next Sunday, brushed past a static Offaly rearguard and, from 14 yards, gave Shane O'Connor no chance with a stinging shot.
Offaly had hardly regrouped when they were stung for a second time with David Donoghue raiding down the flank and setting up big full forward David Huban to crack goal number two.
And, within a further five minutes, Galway were coasting at 3-9 to 0-7. Eamon Hyland was pulled down in front of the Offaly goal and Huban found the net from the penalty.
With John Culkin providing the perfect service at midfield alongside Tierney and centre back Conor Dervan an outstanding figure, the winners simply toyed with their opponents who had just one more point, from Conor Gath, on the scoreboard by the 50th minute.
By that stage Galway had rattled in a fourth goal from hat-trick hero Huban and it mattered little that substitute Gary O'Connor raised Offaly's lone green flag three minutes from the finish.
It was a fine team performance by Galway with their full-back line of Eoin McDonagh, Diarmuid Cloonan and Jamie Cannon snuffing out whatever their opponents had to offer.
GALWAY: K Callanan; E McDonagh, D Cloonan, J Cannon; D Hardiman, C Dervan (0-1), S Morgan; D Tierney (1-1), J Culkin; G Tierney (0-2), E Hyland, S Donoghue (0-1); D Donoghue (0-4), D Huban (3-3), D Forde (0-1). Subs: D Joyce for G Tierney; E O'Donoghue for D Tierney; M Greaney for D Donoghue.
OFFALY: S O'Connor; S Horan, D Moran, JP O'Meara; D Franks, W Comerford, S Brown; A Hanrahan, D Tanner; C Gath (0-3), P Molloy, B Murphy; R Hanniffy (0-1), E McGuinness, D Murray (0-5). Subs: J Brady for S Horan; G O'Connor (1-0) for McGuinness; B Troy for O'Meara; R McRedmond (0-1) for Molloy.
Referee: G Devlin (Antrim).
Limerick have named the same side that started against Cork in the Munster under-21 hurling final replay on Wednesday for tomorrow's All-Ireland semi-final meeting with Antrim at Parnell Park.
LIMERICK: T Houlihan, D Reale, E Mulcahy, P Reale, P O'Reilly, B Geary, W Walsh, J Meskell, S Lucey, P O'Grady, S O'Connor, D Stapleton, D Sheehan, B Begley, M Keane.
