Five years without a bet and a place sealed in the last four of the AIB Leinster senior club football championship – it was a very special Sunday for Offaly senior football star Niall McNamee.

Teen prodigy Conor Nash has admitted that turning his back on Meath GAA and Leinster rugby to forge an Aussie Rules career was a ‘massive call’ for him.

St Vincent’s (Dublin) 1-13 Rhode (Offaly) 0-06

St Vincents 1-13 Rhode 0-06

After three Leinster final appearances and three Leinster final defeats, it would be tempting for Paraic Sullivan to suggest Rhode’s latest provincial decider is life and death stuff.

Step into the impressive St Vincent’s GAA bar room and it’s not long before you’re reminded of the club’s glory era.

Pat Daly has admitted that another 1-7 tally isn’t going to be enough to capture the provincial title that Rhode crave.

What was expected to be a fiercely contested clash between two clubs that have been regular participants in the Leinster club championship surprisingly proved a one-sided encounter as Rhode overwhelmed Moorefield.

It is a measure of the standards set by St Vincent’s that Tomas Quinn pronounced himself entirely ‘disappointed’ with their AIB Leinster club semi-final win.

All-Ireland champions St Vincents of Dublin will start next month’s Leinster club championship final as clear favourites against Rhode of Offaly after today's semi-finals.

Rhode 0-13 Edenderry 1-7

Offaly SFC: Reigning Offaly senior hurling and intermediate football champions Kilcormac-Killoughey caused quite a stir last week when they refused to field a team in their SFC clash with St Rynaghs on Thursday.

Champions Rhode survived a stern test from Gracefield in a thrilling Offaly senior football championship clash at O’Connor Park, Tullamore last night (2-16 to 3-12).

Shane Dooley showed just why Emmet McDonnell was quick to call him into the county football squad with a stellar performance for Tullamore in the Offaly SFC last night, helping his club to a 0-16 to 1-7 victory over Walsh Island.

Reigning kingpins Edenderry crashed out of the Offaly senior football championship on Saturday at O’Connor Park, Tullamore as Ross Brady’s brilliant 55th minute goal helped Clara secure a semi-final victory.

Two brilliant Dean Cummins first half goals helped Offaly senior football kingpins Edenderry to a 2-16 to 1-12 quarter-final victory over Erin Rovers at O’Connor Park, Tullamore on Saturday.

OFFALY captain Niall McNamee admits his county are well-placed to make a stab at reaching their first Leinster SFC final in five years.

CRAIG DIAS faces a hectic February if he is to help the ambitions of his club, college and county in winning silverware.

A FOURTH Leinster Club SFC title for Kilmacud Crokes and the sweetest of them all, according to their manager Paddy Carr and captain Pat Burke.

Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 0-15 Rhode (Offaly) 1-7, Portlaoise

A JANUARY boost, this. Two teams who like to play football and haven’t been prevented from staging training sessions or challenge matches in the run-up to today. Joy!

KILMACUD CROKES manager Paddy Carr is predicting a “classical final” when his side does battle with Rhode for Leinster club honours.

ROY MALONE took a step into the past to seal Rhode’s third Leinster club SFC final place in five seasons with a dramatic late goal in Navan.

Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes and Offaly side Rhode will contest the AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship decider at O'Moore Park on December 5.

Kilmacud Crokes, Garrycastle, Skyrne and Rhode have advanced to the semi-finals of the AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship following today's matches around the province.

Offaly forward Niall McNamee is hoping for a winning debut on Saturday night, having been selected in Ireland's 23-man panel to face Australia in the International Rules first Test at the Gaelic Grounds.

GAA chiefs nationwide have expressed satisfaction that there have been no significant falls in attendances at county finals despite the current economic climate.

JOHN REYNOLDS was the hero as comeback kings Clara repeated their county final heroics by overcoming an eight-point interval deficit to win this Leinster Club SFC game in Newbridge.

OFFALY SFC FINAL:

MARK VAUGHAN and the AIB Club championships have had what could best be described as a love-hate relationship in the past five years. But the enigmatic forward believes Kilmacud Crokes are finally ready to achieve All-Ireland honours.

THERE may still be only 12 days of Christmas, but it still seems to start earlier with each passing year. Unfortunately for Rhode, they took that all too literally yesterday by gift-wrapping a Leinster Club SFC title for Kilmacud that was theirs for the taking.

Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 2-07 Rhode (Offaly) 1-07

IF there is a consensus about Offaly football it is probably one of a plucky little county punching several divisions above its weight.

Crossmaglen have received a boost ahead of their Ulster club final replay against Ballinderry on Sunday.

Éire Óg (Carlow) 0-04 Rhode (Offaly) 3-09

Offaly have included one championship debutant in their team for tomorrow evening's Leinster SFC quarter-final against Westmeath (Tullamore, throw-in 6.30pm).

MOOREFIELD manager Seamus ‘Sos’ Dowling was bursting with pride, and he had every reason to be.

NIALL McNAMEE insists his Offaly side will have no fear of Dublin in the Leinster SFC Final.

KILDARE football champions Sarsfields must get the very best from their defenders if they are to win Sunday’s AIB Leinster club final in Navan.

DON’T ask Nicky McGrath how he ended up managing the Kilmacud Crokes senior football team. The guy has simply no idea.