Division One Play-off/Limerick 6-20 Offaly 1-18:Offaly were consigned to Division Two hurling for next year after succumbing to an avalanche of second-half Limerick goals at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh, yesterday.
John McIntyre's men can only now hope that an Offaly motion, deferred at GAA Congress in Kilkenny at the weekend, to keep 10 teams in Division One next season, is ratified at the next meeting of the Central Council.
The script as it read at half-time gave no inkling of the devastating loss that was to befall Offaly when they only trailed by four points, 1-11 to 0-10.
Playing with the aid of a slight breeze, Offaly had opened brightly with full forward Joe Bergin and Eddie Bevans firing over from close range.
Limerick replied with points from Sean O'Connor, Brian Geary and Niall Moran as both sides fought to gain the upper hand in the opening quarter.
The Munster side maintained a two-point advantage until the 17th minute before points from Bevans and Derek Molloy brought the sides level for the third time.
Limerick surged clear again with two points from Andrew O'Shaughnessy before the turning point of the half in the 26th minute resulted in Ollie Moran rattling the Offaly net from 21 yards.
Offaly trailed by four at the interval but a second half collapse saw Limerick tear Offaly asunder with their inside forward line netting five second-half goals in a half where they outscored their opponents by 5-9 to 1-8.
Limerick blew Offaly away in the opening five minutes of the second half, turning a four-point interval advantage into nine with pints from O'Shaughnessy and Moran sandwiched between a Foley goal.
Offaly attempted to garner some confidence from a Bergin pointed free in the 43rd minute but the Limerick juggernaut continued to pummel through the Offaly rearguard.
O'Connor bagged two further goals in the 46th and 50th minute, flicking successive Brian Geary frees to the back of the Offaly net before a fifth Limerick goal from Barry Foley killed off the Offaly challenge.
O'Shaughnessy converted a penalty for Limerick's sixth goal after Ger Oakley dragged Hugh Flavin to the ground in the 57th minute.
LIMERICK: B Murray; K O'Rourke, S Lucey, S Hickey; M O'Riordan, B Geary (0-4, two 65s, two frees), P O'Dwyer; N Moran (0-1), M O'Brien (0-1); B Begley (0-1), O Moran (1-3), H Flavin; A O'Shaughnessy (1-4, 1-0 penalty, 0-2 frees), S O'Connor (2-3), B Foley (2-0). Subs: M Foley for O'Dwyer (31 mins), D Ryan (0-1) for O'Brien (44 mins), J O'Brien (0-2) for Begley (55 mins), P Tobin for Foley (61 mins), K Tobin for N Moran (64 mins).
OFFALY: S O'Connor; C Hernon, P Cleary, D Franks; G Oakley, C Horan, K Brady; B Teehan B Murphy; E Bevans (0-2), R Hanniffy (0-3), D Molloy (0-1); B Carroll (0-2), J Bergin (1-8, 0-4 frees, 0-1 penalty), D Murray. Subs: B O'Meara for Brady (57 mins), D Hoctor for Cleary (58 mins), A Egan for Bevans (63 mins), S Dooley (0-2) for Hernon (63 mins), C Parlon for Hernon (65 mins).
Referee: J Ryan (Tipperary).
