Down ran riot in Tullamore tonight as they hit Offaly for five goals in a comfortable first round SFC Qualifier win.
A disappointing Offaly side kicked four points and four wides in a one-sided first half as goals from Danny Hughes, John Clarke and Kevin McKernan steered Down to a 3-12 to 0-04 half-time lead.
Amidst a flurry of points, Benny Coulter scrambled home the visitors' fourth goal and strikes from Offaly's Pascal Kelleghan and John Reynolds were followed by a late Ronan Sexton effort.
This was a very cohesive display by Down and manager Ross Carr will have been suitably impressed by the effort shown, three weeks after his side's Ulster Championship exit at the hands of Armagh.
Offaly were left in Down's wake as Carr's charges scored 1-04 inside the opening eight minutes at O'Connor Park.
Offaly had two wides from their first two attacks but they simply could not compete with the Mourne men's firepower.
The visitors grabbed their first goal when Hughes slotted past Offaly net minder Padraig Kelly, after some neat build-up play involving Coulter.
Aidan Carr kicked three points - two from frees - in the opening few minutes, while McKernan was also an early point-scorer.
Offaly registered their first point 13 minutes into the fray when Pascal Kelleghan, their best forward on the night, fired over from the left wing.
John Reynolds and Ciaran McManus added their names to the scoresheet in the first half, but it was all about Down's scoring as a Hughes pass enabled John Clarke to power home the visitors' second goal in the 31st minute.
Barely a minute later, they were toasting their third as Coulter, ever the play-maker, teed up McKernan for his well-taken strike.
The Offaly management tried to shake some life into their team, making four substitutions at the start of the second half.
Points followed from Niall McNamee, Reynolds and substitute Gary Comerford, yet Down were operating at a different level.
Kelleghan and Reynolds did find the net, scoring twice in as many minutes, to add a little respectability to the score-line.
However, Down never looked in trouble and wrapped up with the win with a scrambled goal from Coulter and another from Sexton, who did well to finish after pinching the ball from Offaly No 1 Kelly.
Offaly: P Kelly; G Rafferty, S Brady, P McConway; K Slattery, J Keane, N Grennan; C McManus (0-01, 1f), N Smith; N Darby, J Coughlan, J Kelly; P Kelleghan (1-01), J Reynolds (1-02), N McNamee (0-04, 2f).
Subs: A McNamee for N Darby, B Darby for Rafferty, G Comerford (0-02) for Coughlan, D Egan for Kelly, S Ryan for Reynolds.
Down: B McVeigh; M Cole, C Murney, L Howard; P Murphy, A Carr (0-04, 3f), K McGuigan; D Gordon (0-02), A Rodgers (0-01); J Fegan, K McKernan (1-01), D Hughes (1-01); J Clarke (1-04), R Murtagh (0-05, 1f), B Coulter (1-01).
Subs: G McArdle for Murphy, P Turley for Cole, D McCartan for Murney, J Lynch for Howard, R Sexton (1-00) for Rodgers (blood sub).
Referee: Aidan Mangan (Kerry).
