Offaly 1-17 Limerick 5-19

Limerick held all the aces as they romped past Offaly at Tullamore this afternoon for their third NHL Division 1B win.

Offaly were behind within 44 seconds of the throw-in when Sean O'Connor set up Andrew O'Shaughnessy's sixth league goal.

Offaly responded with a Ger Healion goal, but green flags from Ollie Moran and Donie Ryan had the Shannonsiders 3-11 to 1-10 ahead at half-time.

Further majors from O'Shaughnessy and Ryan followed and both sides finished with 14 men - Niall Moran and Ciaran Flannery tangled and saw red.

With the result in little, some supporters were even heading for the gates with a quarter-of-an-hour left in the game such was Limerick's dominance.

They made a blistering start with O'Connor slicing through the Offaly defence to tee up O'Shaughnessy for his first-minute goal.

Niall Moran notched Limerick's opening point before Brian Carroll, who was Offaly's best forward on show, fired over a free in reply.

Coming to the 15-minute mark, Limerick led by 1-05 to 0-03 courtesy of further points from Moran, Donal O'Grady (0-02) and O'Shaughnessy (free).

Carroll (free) and Alan Egan managed to point at the other end before an uncharacteristic mistake from Limerick goalkeeper Brian Murray, who let a high ball drop from his grasp, allowed Healion grab a much-needed 17th-minute goal for the Faithfuls.

That cut the gap to three points at 1-07 to 1-04 but Limerick always seemed to have an extra gear and a crossed ball in from the right from O'Shaughnessy was finished to the net, off the ground, by Ollie Moran.

Beginning to motor ahead, Limerick chalked up their third goal in the 32nd-minute when a Barry Foley shot came back off the crossbar and the alert Donie Ryan was on hand to tuck away the rebound.

The half-time whistle came with Limerick leading by seven points, while Offaly's challenge owed much to Carroll who landed four frees in the opening 35 minutes.

However, just three minutes after the break, Richie Bennis' visitors sniffed out their fourth goal.

It had a touch of good fortune about it as the Offaly defence allowed an O'Shaughnessy free from 45 metres out sail past them and into the net.

Just minutes later, referee Johnny Ryan from Tipperary was reaching for his red card.

After a Ger Oakley point, Ryan moved back to where there had been a coming-together of players in the lead-up to Oakley's score.

He dismissed Limerick's Niall Moran and Ciaran Flannery from Offaly for their part in that off-the-ball incident, giving them straight reds.

With 17 minutes remaining, Limerick manager Bennis, who described the game as 'a non event', brought his star attacker O'Shaughnessy off to wisely rest him for the weekends ahead.

Ryan's second goal, Limerick's fifth in all, saw him draw level with O'Shaughnessy on 2-02 and it completed an embarrassing afternoon for all in the Offaly set-up and those in the stands.