Offaly hybrid of very young and old ‘can only improve’

OFFALY’S rousing display last week in Portlaoise may not have come as any big surprise given their annual competitiveness, but for many, the sight of a handful of fresh-faced kids running around in the distinctive green, white and gold was.

Wasn't it Laois who could boast the fine-tuned conveyor belt of young footballers ready to be moulded into senior stalwarts. With a backbone of players approaching the last lap of their inter-county careers and an underage record that would make the weakest of counties blush, Offaly were supposedly on their last legs as the heroes of 1997 went through the motions one last time before wheezing towards the exit without much fuss.

Enter stage left, forwards Niall McNamee and John Reynolds, full-back Ger Rafferty and goalkeeper Kevin Meehan and suddenly the rebirth is in sight. All four played a significant part in last Sunday week's draw with Laois and by the end of the game in O'Moore Park almost half of Paul O'Kelly's 15 left on the pitch were U21s. Vinny Claffey had a birds' eye view of how the tale unravelled as he occupied the bench space everyone thought would be young McNamee's until just prior to throw-in. The veteran Doon forward, for one, wasn't all that surprised by the youthful hew strutting their stuff before him.

"Niall McNamee (the 17-year-old county minor captain) did very well for such a young lad and the two other young lads John Reynolds and Ger Rafferty had impressive games too. People have been saying for the last few years that no young players are coming through in Offaly, but that's not really the case. OK, our underage record isn't good the last few years, but in any minor team you're going to be lucky to get two or three players through to senior level.

"U21 is a better level to judge who will come through but that's the same in the numbers you can expect to bring on. But just because your underage teams aren't winning doesn't mean you have no talent in there," he insists.

When O'Kelly became Pádraig Nolan's replacement last winter and was handed an unprecedented three-year term, the county board stressed the importance of unearthing new talent to him. With last week in mind, it seems that success has already been achieved and the dynasty looks a little more secure, but Claffey insists that this Offaly hybrid of very young and very old can only improve the longer their season goes on.

"We did OK, I felt last week. Laois have been very sharp the past few months but after we have a few games under our belts we'll hopefully pick it up a level as well. It was a long wait for the lads between the last league game and last Sunday, while Laois had had two very competitive league games against Armagh and Tyrone and game then against Wexford in Croke Park. Whatever way you look at it, whoever gets through on Monday will be well set up to play Dublin or Louth in the semi-final."

Conversely, whoever loses today is due to tog out again five days later in the first round of the qualifiers a frightening scenario considering the awful record of teams playing in qualifiers within a week of a championship loss over the past two seasons.

Offaly's record there is worse than most. Two years ago they were hugely unlucky not to beat Dublin in a Leinster semi-final before spluttering to an abject defeat against Louth in the last-gasp saloon. Last year was even worse. Defeat to Kildare after a replay and extra-time was followed by a stinker of a showing against an improving Limerick side.

Claffey takes the point, yet it isn't history but practicalities that makes him wary of the back door. "Laois and ourselves are the same in that neither of us want to go through the qualifiers. How could you when you have the likes of Cork and Armagh in there already? It's probably a lot tougher than the provincial way. The front door is the only option."

The signs are mixed for the Faithful today. Last week should have dusted away any cobwebs that had gathered after their last league tie but their performance was so exceptional in O'Moore Park that many within the county claim it was their best in the recent past. Whether it can be improved upon is a moot point and back-to-back tours de force haven't been a strong point since the provincial title in '97.

However, Laois' good form seems to be in retreat if anything and Mick O'Dwyer still has worries about key positions from centre-back to midfield to centre-forward, not to mention a creaking full-back line. The signs point yet again to a white knuckle ride.

"The game under our belts might be seen as an advantage but at the same time, the element of surprise is gone now," Claffey points out. "Laois are still favourites I would say when you look at their league form, but, yeah, it's very close. It's a local derby and there's never anything between the two of us anyway."

Seconds out, round two.