Antrim certainly contributed to their own woes as Offaly got away for a runaway win in Tullamore on Sunday.
Red cards for Antrim midfielders Conor Stewart and Conor Hand in the first six minutes of the second-half meant that this was a game the visitors just could not win.
They were trailing by 2-10 to 0-12 when Hand saw red and did well to battle back to 2-11 to 0-14 after 50 minutes but the numerical disadvantage had to and did exact a fierce toll on them.
Playing against the wind in the first-half, Offaly took a few minutes to settle and trailed by 0-4 to 0-2 after seven minutes.
Antrim’s first score was a two-pointer from Patrick McBride and further ones from Dermot McAleese and impressive midfielder Hand kept them in the hunt in the first half.
After that slow start, Offaly found a rich vein of form, scoring 1-5 without reply in a great 10 minute spell to lead by 1-8 to 0-4 after 20 minutes.
The goal was tapped in by Shane Tierney in the 10th minute and a second goal from Cillian Bourke in the 24th minute made it 2-8 to 0-6. Antrim did very well to turn the tide from here, scoring six without reply to trail by 2-8 to 0-12 at the break.
The odds lengthened for Antrim when midfielder Stewart was red-carded a minute after the restart for a blow that left John Furlong on the ground, followed a few minutes later by r Hand after a clash with Dylan Hyland.
Antrim dug deep and hung on grimly for a few minutes before the wheels came off.
Keith O’Neill’s 59th minute goal made it 3-13 to 0-14 and it was all over as a contest. O’Neill got in for a second goal in the 68th minute and Offaly were able to enhance their scoring difference late on.
Scorers, Offaly: K O’Neill 2-2 (1f), D Hyland 0-7 (1 2pf, 1 2p, 1f, 1 ’45), S Tierney 1-2, C Bourke 1-0, N Dunne (1f) 0-3 J Bryant (1m) 0-3, J Furlong 0-1 J Hayes 0-1.
Antrim: D McEnhill 0-4 (3f), C Hand 0-3 (1 2p), D McAleese (1 2p) 0-2 P McBride (1 2p) 0-2, M Jordan 0-2, M Byrne (1 ‘45’) 0-1, R McCann 0- 1(m).
OFFALY: P Dunican; L Pearson, K Higgins, Rory Egan; A Bracken, J Furlong, C Egan; J McEvoy, J Hayes; C Bourke, C Flynn, K O’Neill; D Hyland, J Bryant , S Tierney.
Subs: N Dunne for Hyland (52), C Donoghue for Bourke (67), S O’Toole-Greene for C Egan (67), D McDaid for Pearson (68), R Gallagher for Tierney (70).
ANTRIM: M Byrne; J McDonnell, E Walsh, J McAuley; R Boyle, J Finnegan, D McAleese; C Stewart, C Hand; P Finnegan, M Jordan, R McQuillan; P McBride, R McCann, D McEnhill.
Subs: F Nagle for McQuillan (22), P Ferris for Finnegan (29), J Morgan for Boyle (61), R Murray for McEnhill (61), C Higgins for McBride (67)
Referee: D Murnane (Cork)