Faithful’s K-K made to measure

Scenario A. A Kilkenny team versus an Offaly team in the Leinster club hurling final in Portlaoise tomorrow. It may not result in a win for the Offaly crowd but the chances are it’ll be close.

One of these teams reached last year’s All-Ireland final, remember, and were unfortunate in the extreme in losing by two points. And it wasn’t the Kilkenny lads.

Scenario B. A Kilkenny team, this one wearing stripes, versus an Offaly team, wearing tricolours, at Nowlan Park last May. Quarter-final of the Leinster championship, first match to be televised live by Sky Sports and, despite the visitors trying and limit the damage by starting with a seventh defender, a fleeting contest that was all over after 20 minutes. At the final whistle the scoreboard read 5-32 to 1-18 in the hosts’ favour.