Limerick romped to a 2-29 to 2-19 win over Offaly in Group B of the All-Ireland SHC qualifiers at O'Connor Park tonight.
Stung by Clare a fortnight ago, the Shannonsiders duly impressed their new management team with a scoring spree in Tullamore.
Offaly led by seven points at one stage in the first half - Joe Bergin netted in the opening minutes. However a drilled Donie Ryan shot levelled the game for Limerick at 1-12 apiece in injury-time.
The game was poised at 1-17 apiece before Limerick took charge. Midfielder Barry Foley (1-07) nipped in for a crucial goal.
Niall Moran (0-04) and Brian Begley (0-05) were also on song. Offaly full-forward Bergin's second goal, from a close-in free, mattered little in the end.
A beautifully-flighted free from Paul Cleary was latched onto by Bergin and he blasted it to the Limerick net past the dispairing Brian Murray. Quite a score from the home side with the game only three minutes old.
Brian Carroll and midfielders Declan Tanner and Daniel Hoctor added points as a clearly on-form Offaly pushed seven clear. Limerick were left trailing in their wake with only Barry Foley and Andrew O'Shaughnessy threatening from placed balls.
O'Shaughnessy scored four points in the first half and two frees from all of 90 and 80 metres from Foley were quite remarkable scores. Incredibly, Limerick got back on terms by the half's end with Ryan taking full advantage of a lapse in concentration by Offaly stopper Brian Mullins to fling a left-handed shot to the net.
The sides went point for point in the early stages of the second half with Carroll, O'Shaughnessy, Tanner and Foley all adding to their personal tallies.
The crucial blow for the Shannonsiders came on 46 minutes when Willie Walshe's long through ball deceived Offaly full-back Cleary and Foley gobbled it up to beat Mullins from close range.
Limerick made certain of their first win in the qualifiers when five successive points followed from the hurls of the impressive Begley (0-02), Barry Foley (0-02) and Niall Moran. Michael Haverty's final whistle could not have come quick enough for the Faithfuls, who were outscored by 1-12 to 1-02 in the final half-hour of action.
Offaly: B Mullins; B Teehan, P Cleary (0-01 (1f)), B O'Meara; K Brady (0-01 (1 '65)), R Hanniffy, G Oakley; D Hoctor (0-03), D Tanner (0-01); D Hayden, G Hanniffy (0-02), B Whelahan (0-01); B Carroll (0-07 (6f)), J Bergin (2-01, 1-00f)), B Murphy (0-02).
Subs used: N Claffey for Teehan (48 mins), D Murray for Tanner (50), M Cordial for Cleary (51), J Brady for Hayden (54).
Limerick: B Murray; D Reale, TJ Ryan, S Hickey; W Walshe, B Geary, M Foley (0-3 (3f)); B Foley (1-07 (3f, 1 '65)), S Lucey; N Moran (0-04), D O'Grady, C Fitzgerald (0-01); D Ryan (1-00), B Begley (0-05), A O'Shaughnessy (0-07 (3f)).
Subs used: P O'Dwyer for Geary (28 mins), M O'Brien (0-02) for Lucey (half time) P Tobin for Fitzgerald (48), E Foley for Walshe (68).
Referee: Michael Haverty (Galway).
