Hurlers continue their promotion quest as footballers bid to atone for Down demolition

This weekend is very much about reparation for Offaly GAA. Down footballers and Laois hurlers each had a very good day at Offaly"s expense in 2008 and each will be very keen to repeat those satisfactory results in 2009, albeit in very different surroundings in both cases. Taking the hurlers first, none of Offaly"s results so far this year would have supporters jumping up and down in anticipation of a great year in store, though admittedly the players cannot be held responsible for the poor quality of opposition that has been put in front of them. Beating Kerry, Carlow, Westmeath and Down is hardly the stuff dreams are made of, though when set against the difficulties that Antrim and Wexford have experienced, Joe Dooley and his players will have been delighted to have got this far without any costly slip-ups and with a quite healthy scoring difference. Essentially they have done all that they can, though it is only now that the league starts in earnest. However, Laois too have been trundling along very capably to this point and will come to Tullamore this Sunday knowing that a place in the division two decider is very much in their own hands right now. Last year"s meeting in Portlaoise went the way of the home side by one point and while that was at a time when Joe Dooley was still working hard to leave his mark on this Offaly side, that result will leave Laois in little or no doubt as to their ability to cause problems for their northern neighbours. The O"Moore County have also developed a habit in recent years of playing some of their best hurling when the daffodils rather than the roses are in bloom and it"s a rare year that they don"t take at least one significant scalp in the league. Wexford successfully came through their meeting with Laois, so that only leaves this Sunday - Offaly would do well to be warned. Those cursory warnings aside, if the Offaly hurlers are really going in a positive direction, they should be able to despatch the challenge of Laois with little or no difficulty (indeed, Offaly hammered Laois when the sides met in last year"s Leinster championship). Laois remain a tough and competitive team, however they lack depth and remain very dependant on a few key players for scores. James Young and Willie Hyland are each well able to raise a series of flags, however the unfortunate injury suffered by Zane Keenan last weekend in Kilmoyley robs Niall Rigney of one of his star players and that should restrict the Laois attack greatly. With the first of possibly three meetings with Wexford looming large on the horizon, anything less than a double digit victory to lance the boil of 2008 would be a disappointment this weekend. Such lofty expectations are not traditionally the way of doing things in Offaly. However, second tier of counties in Ireland (i.e. the four or five counties jostling for second place behind Kilkenny) usually make no bones about running up big tallies when the opportunity presents itself, as Offaly themselves found out in Shinrone a fortnight ago when Tipperary accumulated 4-27, so Offaly too should look to develop that killer instinct. For the county"s footballers, this weekend is another story entirely. Offaly and Down have enjoyed a similar history in that both counties have punched above their weight on the national football stage, while their meeting in 1961 remains one of the most celebrated All-Ireland finals of all time, still holding the record for attendance at any match in Ireland. Both counties have traditionally displayed a real grit and tenacity when faced with bigger rivals and that made last year"s championship meeting in Tullamore all the more galling from a home supporter"s point of view - it was not dissimilar to a domestic dispute taking place with a close friend in the room. That demolition will live long in the memory as one of Offaly football"s darkest days and it is to be expected that the players will be all too aware of this as they make the long trek up to Newry for tomorrow night"s fixture. Saturday night fixtures under lights have not been kind to Offaly this decade and only last year"s draw in Casement Park saw Offaly get a positive result of any kind in a competitive fixture. Generally speaking, teams who do not have a home floodlit venue of their own tend to struggle when visiting counties more accustomed to the conditions and, as such, Offaly would be expected to spend some time coming to terms with the unnatural lighting, so this is just one further handicap for Offaly to overcome. On paper at least, this fixture always stood out as the toughest in the campaign for Offaly, though Down have shown some vulnerability in recent weeks, losing at home to Cavan and again last Sunday to a then bottom of the table Limerick. Their attacking credentials remain sound with players like Benny Coulter and Daniel Hughes still pulling the strings, however questions have been raised about their defensive solidity and Offaly will be hoping that they can nick a goal or two in order to stay in the game until the closing stages, where once again the new-found resolve under Tom Cribbin will be fully tested. It would be very possible for Offaly to play well in this fixture and to still come away empty handed, such is the ability of this Down team, however the result is not all important in terms of redeeming the team"s credibility after last July. The performance is if anything more important this weekend as even an honourable defeat would prove that this Offaly team is once again playing with the commitment and resolve that is only appropriate in the inter-county game. The county does not demand or expect a win, but reparation for the sins of last summer is crucial. Any less and the shadow of a dubious past will continue to loom large over this panel into the championship.