The Faithful were ahead by four come half-time – 1-11 to 0-10 – but it wasn’t really until the second half that the home side really rammed home their superiority to shoot 1-8 without reply between the 42nd minute and the 61st to open out a fourteen-point advantage.
Points from Cillian Kiely and Cahill were followed by their second goal from Killian Sampson, following a sweet assist by Dan Bourke, on 47 minutes. That left it 2-14 to 0-12. Game all but over.
By the end of that run of scores it was 2-20 to 0-12 and, while Kerry had a couple of late scores from the likes of Niall Mulcahy, David Woulfe and Colin Walsh, Offaly didn’t ever let up. Places very much up for grabs in the Joe McDonagh final now and players reacting accordingly.
Second-half substitute Oisín Kelly scored the Faithful’s third goal on 63 minutes to all but complete the rout. Really impressive stuff from Johnny Kelly’s men.
Kerry, to be fair, had started the game reasonably well. At the end of the opening quarter they were three points clear, 0-6 to 0-3, with the ploy of playing star man Fionán Mackessy at full-forward providing the Kingdom with a bit of structure up front.
A penalty for Offaly on the 20th minute, however, eradicated the visitor’s hard-earned advantage. The rampant Charlie Mitchell had been fouled by Evan Murphy, Eoghan Cahill then merciless with the placed ball.
Kerry did go back in front one more time, thanks to a Maurice O’Connor free, but Offaly’s dander was up now. Mitchell and Cahill in dominant form, guys like Killian Sampson and Cathal King contributing also as they fashioned that half-time lead.
The midlands derby final next month promises to be something special.
Scorers: Offaly: E Cahill 1-8 (1-0 pen, 0-4f, 0-1 65), K Sampson 1-2, C Mitchell 0-4, B Duignan 0-3, O Kelly 1-0, C Kiely 0-2, J Sampson 0-2, C King 0-1, E Kelly 0-1, D Maher 0-1
Kerry: M O’Connor 0-8 (0-6f, 0-1 65), C Walsh 0-2 (0-1f), R Walsh, K Hayes 0-1, F Mackessy 0-1, D Woulfe 0-1, N Mulcahy 0-1
Offaly: M Troy; B Conneely, C Burke, C King; L Watkins, C Kiely, D King; J Sampson, R Ravenhill; K Sampson, B Duignan, E Kelly; D Bourke, C Mitchell, E Cahill
Subs: D Screeney for Cahill (38-42 temp), S Bourke for Watkins (46), O Kelly for D Bourke (55), D Maher for King (55), J Clancy for E Kelly (63), P Cleary for K Sampson (67)
Kerry: L Dee; F McCarthy, E Murphy, E Leen; R Walsh, D Shanahan, K O’Connor; K Hayes, B Barrett; M Leane, C Walsh, G Dooley; G Griffin, M O’Connor, F Mackessy
Subs: D Goggin for O’Connor (34), D Woulfe for Barrett (51), T O’Connor for Shanahan (54), N Mulcahy for Dooley (54), T Doyle for Hayes (63), B Keane for Murphy (64, temp)
Referee: N Malone (Clare)
