ON the face of it this was a decent enough result for Louth manager Paul Kenny, with his side scoring their first championship win over Offaly since 1964 and earning another quarter final crack at Dublin. The margin of the victory was flattering, however, and for those members of the Dublin team and their supporters who caught part of the earlier game, the prospect of Louth back at Pairc Tailteann on the final Sunday of this month is not the sort that is likely to cause too many sleepless nights.

Neither side impressed but from the opening minutes there were worrying signs for the Offaly bench as their fullback line looked lost against a Louth attack in which full forward Redmond O'Neill was initially pulled back very deep, leaving Alan Doherty and Colin Kelly to bear in on goal.

In midfield, the early tussles were more even, with Martin Daly starting well and Finbarr Cullen providing good support from the left side of the half back line. It was here that most of Offaly's best work was done during the opening half.

What possession was won there tended to be squandered up front, though, and after Cullen put his side's first point on the hoard in the opening minute and Kelly quickly countered for Louth, both sides began to show the extent of their limitations.

Offaly's Ronan Mooney, so central to his team's early strength against Meath last season, was ineffectual around goal yesterday. On one occasion he did well to get in close on Louth, goalkeeper Niall O'Donnell, but he delayed his shot long enough for Brendan Kerin to get in an important challenge. Shortly afterwards Vinny Claffey was pushed forward to replace Mooney at full forward.

If the Offaly scoring never poured it did at least begin to trickle steadily when David Reynolds finally began to find his range with his frees. Louth scored a goal when Offaly defender Cathal Daly appeared to wrong foot his keeper when he got a touch to a harmless looking Redmond O'Neill shot in the 28th minute, and it took three points, one from play, from Reynolds to keep the margin to a point at the break.

Reynolds's importance was to grow after the restart, with his tireless work on the right side of the field the major threat to Louth's growing grip on the match. Eleven minutes into the half he popped up at left cornerback to gather possession from his goalkeeper and start a neat six man passing move that was to end with Phil O'Reilly scoring the best point of the match.

Alan Doherty, who took over the free taking for Louth after an uncharacteristic string of misses by Kelly, restored the lead for his team before John Kenny and Reynolds combined well to get three quick points. But the two point advantage was as close as "Offaly came to victory. Cathal O'Hanlon stole a good point back within two minutes before his brother, Seamus set David Reilly up for a well struck goal that finally gave one side a decisive momentum.

When a Doherty free from 40 yards was punched past substitute keeper Ken Furlong by O'Neill, even Reynolds ceased to be a threat.

Until Offaly sort out the internal differences that cost them the services of Peter Brady yesterday they will make little enough progress.

Louth, on the other hand, had a glimpse of their future in the day's second match.