Oisin Kelly's hat-trick of goals helped Offaly to a crushing 5-22 to 1-12 victory over Kildare at Newbridge.

Three-pointers from Kelly (2) and Emmet Nolan had the winners ahead by 3-7 to 1-7 at the end of a topsy-turvy first half in which the Lilywhites refused to roll over and at one stage reduced a ten-point deficit to just two.

The Faithfuls got off to a flying start and goals from full forward Kelly in the second and tenth minutes had them ahead by 2-4 to 0-1, with Evan Dempsey the Lilywhites' only scorer inside the first 13 minutes.

Birr clubman Nolan (2-7) opened the scoring and two converted Dylan Murray frees made it 1-3 to 0-4 after just four minutes. Murray added another free and Nolan followed up Kelly's second three-pointer with a shot that flew over via the crossbar to make it 2-5 to 0-2 at the midway stage in the first half.

Darragh Weir increased the gap to ten points but the hosts replied in style when full back Conor Dowling smashed an unstoppable shot to the net after being relocated to the edge if the square. The Lilywhites kept plugging away and Brian Byrne's fourth point from play had them back within a goal with five minutes left before the break.

Ryan Casey's converted free reduced the deficit further, 1-7 to 2-6, but Nolan's clinical finish to the net at the end of a penetrating run steadied the red-hot favourites and Kelly closed the first-half scoring on the stroke of the short whistle.

Nolan (free) and Byrne - with his fifth from play - swapped the first two scores after the restart and Podge Guinan increased the lead following an exchange between Ronan Hughes and Dowling - 3-10 to 1-9 five minutes into the second half. After substitute Kiely increased the gap to eight, disaster struck for the home side when they had Jack Sheridan dismissed for a second yellow-card offence in the 39^th minute.

Nolan's second major at the three-quarters stage ensured that there would be no way back for the hosts as the gap between the teams went out to eleven points, 4-12 to 1-10 and the game was over as a meaningful contest long before the outstanding Kelly popped up with a brilliant third goal - 5-14 to 1-11.

The victors finished with a flurry of scores to seal a semi-final date with Carlow - who defeated Laois tonight - on Wednesday, June 22^nd.

Offaly - E Cahill; C Taylor, D O'Toole Greene, P Delaney; D Doughan, B Conneely, J Hardiman; D Wyer (0-1), P Guinan (0-3); J O'Toole Greene, E Nolan (2-7, 0-4f, 0-1'65), R Hughes (0-3); A Cleary (0-1), O Kelly (3-1), D Murray (0-3, 2f). Subs: C Kiely (0-2) for J O'Toole Greene, C Freeman (0-1) for D Murray, E Parlon for J Hardiman, C Cleary for O Kelly, L Langton for D Wyer.

Kildare - J Keane; C Crogan, C Dowling (1-2), K Maher; L Quinn, D Brereton, C Gordon; J Reeves, J Sheridan; E O'Hehir (0-1), R Casey (0-2, 1f), T Brady; C Egan (0-1), E Dempsey (0-1), B Byrne (0-5). Subs: T Forde for C Crogan, F Bass for J Reeves, M Stapleton for E O'Hehir, C Byrne for C Gordon.

Referee - K Brady.

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