Wexford 2-16 Offaly 0-8:WEXFORD WALTZED to a remarkably easy win at Tullamore on Saturday evening.

From the moment Ciarán Lyng found the net after 20 minutes, this result had an air of inevitability about it. With the wind at their backs, Wexford had one foot in the quarter-final against Westmeath when they went in leading at half time by 1-9 to 0-6.

Against the wind in the second half, Jason Ryan’s men restricted Offaly to just two points and their safe passage was booked a long way before the final whistle.

Apart from not getting to grips with Niall McNamee, Wexford’s defence was comfortably in control. Rory Quinlivan and Daithí Waters ran the midfield battle and the outstanding Ben Brosnan and Lyng led the Offaly defence on a merry dance all game long

For Offaly, McNamee ploughed a lone furrow, though he did receive some first-half assistance from Anton Sullivan before he went off with a shoulder injury on the stroke of half time.

At times, it was a comedy of errors for Offaly and this was especially the case in the first half. Wexford had made the better start and were 0-3 to 0-1 to the good when Offaly were awarded a 10th- minute penalty that was blasted high and wide by McNamee. The away side were 0-6 to 0-2 ahead when disaster struck Offaly as Richie Dalton hand-passed the ball straight to Lyng, who found the net.

Offaly also made a succession of other unforced errors and this made life all too easy for Wexford.

Wexford were never under serious threat in the second half, though, amazingly, Offaly did miss three decent goal chances before a punched goal from Brian Malone 16 minutes from time ended it as a contest.

WEXFORD: A Masterson; J Wadding, A Doyle, G Molloy; A Flynn, D Murphy, B Malone (1-0); R Quinlivan (0-1), D Waters; B Brosnan (0-7, three frees, one 45), C Morris, E Bradley; C Lyng (1-6, four frees), S Roche, R Barry. Subs: P Byrne (0-1) for Roche (38 mins), A Morrissey (0-1) for Flynn, B Doyle for Bradley (both 54 mins), L Óg McGovern for Morris (62 mins), G Sunderland for Quinlivan (65 mins).

OFFALY: A Mulhall; B Darby, S Brady, S Pender; S Lonergan, R Brady, K Slattery; R Dalton, N Smith; C McManus, S Ryan, A Sullivan; B Allen (0-2, frees), N Dunne (0-1, free), N McNamee (0-4). Subs: T Deehan for Sullivan (35 mins), N Darby for Dunne (45 mins), K Casey (0-1) for Allen (54 mins), J Reynolds for Ryan (54 mins), J Quinn for Lonergan (63 mins).

Referee: P Ó Suilleabháin (Kerry).

WHILE Offaly now look to the qualifiers, Wexford will host Westmeath in the provincial quarter-final on June 12th, the same day as Carlow meet Louth in Portlaoise. The other two quarter-finals are a double header at Croke Park next Sunday, with Kildare playing Meath and Dublin taking on Laois.