Crucial Portlaoise double bill for Offaly footballers and hurlers

OFFALY hurlers and footballers will travel to Portlaoise on Sunday next for a very attractive league double bill. They play Laois in Division 1B of the National Hurling League at 2pm and this will be followed by the meeting of Offaly and Laois in Division 3 of the National Football League at 4.00pm.

The double bill should bring a large crowd from both counties and apart from the local derby element, they are two big games on their own merit. Offaly have a game under their belt in both codes while lady luck conspired against giving Laois an opening fixture in either league last weekend.

Their Division 3 football fixture in Leitrim was called off on both Saturday and Sunday because of power cuts in Leitrim while their hurling game against Westmeath was called off on Saturday because of a frozen pitch in Mullingar.

The hurling game will attract a lot of interest and it is a crucial one for both counties. Offaly were disappointed to draw, 0-19 to 1-16 at home to Carlow last Saturday. With key players such as Cillian Kiely, Ben Conneely, Eoghan Cahill and Adam Screeney out injured, there were extenuating circumstances for Offaly and they probably would have won with even a couple of them playing.

Offaly couldn't have any complaints at not winning and over the balance of the seventy minutes, Carlow may have deserved something. It was, however, still a point dropped for Offaly who did well to come from behind to lead by two with ten minutes left. They had Carlow on the ropes at this stage but some poor misses and play up front meant that they left themselves open and a huge injury time free from Martin Kavanagh rescued a point for the visitors.

Division 1B is a very competitive group and Offaly also have to face Dublin, Westmeath, Waterford and Antrim. They could really do with a win on Sunday but this is far from guaranteed with so many out. Even with a full strength team, Offaly would have their work cut out to beat Laois. Games between the counties have been fiercely fought, high scoring duels in recent years and this should be another humdinger.

There were plenty of positives for Offaly manager Johnny Kelly on Saturday. There was some very good hurling played, some quality performances and there was a real work ethic there. There is also plenty of room for improvement, things for Offaly to tighten up and sharpen up on. These will all be worked on this week and Offaly are certainly capable of getting a crucial win.

There is less pressure on the footballers after a very encouraging 1-17 to 0-13 win over Sligo on Sunday in Tullamore. That was a very important result for Offaly. Home games are crucial in a very even looking division and a defeat against Sligo would have heaped considerable pressure on everyone in the Offaly camp.

0-9 to 0-7 behind at half time after conceding five points without reply in a worrying seven minute spell from the 25th to 32nd minutes, Offaly played really well in the second half. While Sligo didn't help themselves with fifteen wides, several of them very poor ones, Offaly controlled most facets of play, outscoring them by 1-10 to 0-4 for a morale boosting win.

While Offaly look small and light, the new rules seemed to suit them, particularly some of their flying young players. Keith O'Neill, Cormac Egan and Cathal Flynn were all outstanding and Offaly regularly took their opponents on at pace. They were patient but they attacked well and while Sligo were poor on the day, it was still a good result and display by Offaly.

Laois will tell more on Sunday. Games between these neighbouring counties are generally closely fought with little between them and home advantage is a help to Laois. Offaly, however, will fancy their chances. Laois may be in a rebuilding phase and Offaly will have targeted this one for two points from the start.

Division 3 has a lot of very evenly matched looking teams. Kildare are hot promotion favourites and they will be odds on following their 2-24 to 1-12 demolition of Fermanagh on Saturday. Antrim beat Clare in the other game and the race for the second promotion spot is wide open. Staying up is the absolute first priority for Offaly but Sunday's display suggests that promotion is a possibility.

Sunday's trip to Portlaoise will either confirm or dispel that and it is a high stakes game for Offaly, who have a great chance of collecting two more points.