Galway will meet Wexford in the Leinster senior hurling final after beating Offaly by 0-33 to 1-11 at O'Moore Park.

It was far too easy for the Tribesmen in the Portlaoise sunshine this afternoon as Joe Canning (0-7), Conor Whelan (0-7), Niall Burke (0-5), Shane Maloney (0-4) and sweeper Aidan Harte (0-3) swept over a succession of classy points, while Shane Dooley almost single-handedly kept the scoreboard ticking over at the other end, registering all but 1-2 of the losing tally.

The Faithfuls led briefly when Oisin Kelly netted in the third minute but the Tribesmen picked them off almost at will to lead by seven at the break, 0-16 to 1-6. Dooley registered all six of the midlanders' first-half points and they also missed a number of other goal-scoring opportunities before the winners got into their stride.

It took Galway 20 minutes to really get going; once they did, there was no stopping them! True to form, Canning fired over five first-half points for the westerners, who were also served well in the scoring stakes by Padraig Mannion, Cathal Mannion, Conor Cooney - who fired them ahead by 0-4 to 1-0 in the seventh minute - and Harte.

Whelan's fourth point made it double scores within five minutes of the restart.

With 6,292 looking on, Dooley got the losers' first score of the second half but Galway replied through substitute Maloney, Canning (two frees) and Burke to lead by 13, 0-23 to 1-7, after 47 minutes. Maloney's third was followed by an outstanding save by home goalkeeper James Dempsey but Micheal Donoghue's charges nevertheless led by 15 points with as many minutes left, 0-26 to 1-8.

For the first time in 36 years, Galway failed to find the net against Offaly but the national league winners have eased within one win of their second Leinster championship success.

Galway - C Callanan; A Tuohy, Daithi Burke, J Hanbury; P Mannion (0-2), G McInerney, A Harte (0-3); J Coen (0-2), David Burke; J Flynn, J Canning (0-7, 6f), N Burke (0-5); C Whelan (0-7), C Mannion (0-2), C Cooney (0-1). Subs: S Maloney (0-4) for C Mannion, M Donohue for P Mannion, S Loftus for A Tuohy, E Burke for J Canning, P Brehony for David Burke.

Offaly - J Dempsey; B Conneely, D Shortt, E Grogan; S Ryan, S Gardiner, D King; P Murphy, S Kinsella; P Guinan, J Bergin, E Nolan (0-1); S Cleary, S Dooley (0-9, 6f, 1'65), O Kelly (1-0). Subs: L Langton (0-1) for S Cleary, P Camon for S Ryan, S Quirke for P Guinan, D Doughan for P Murphy, J Mulrooney for S Kinsella.

Referee - J Ryan.

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