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