Pat Flanagan reckons Offaly can go ‘to the top’

Ambitious Offaly football boss Pat Flanagan has tipped his team to seriously challenge Dublin in the coming years if they get their best players on the field.

Flanagan faces a testing few months as he bids to end the impasse which has prevailed in Offaly for the last three seasons regarding a number of key players who aren’t available for selection.

Sean Pender, the captain of new county champions Edenderry, Richie Dalton, his club mate, and Ross Brady of Clara haven’t played for Offaly since early 2013 due to a falling out with former boss Emmet McDonnell. Flanagan identified a fourth player, midfielder Brian Connor, who played for New York in this year’s Championship, as a top target also, suggesting Offaly will be much improved if they all return.