Unless Kilkenny don’t actually physically turn up in Tullamore there’s only one team progressing to the semi-final in two weeks’ time.
That’s not saying it won’t make for some interesting footnotes. There is the minor uncertainty of how early Kilkenny will settle without Henry Shefflin, the recent setback to his foot injury meaning he misses his first championship game since June 1999, after a record 62 consecutive starts, during which time he scored 27 goals and 480 points, etc, etc.
Midfielder Michael Fennelly is another notable absentee, the ankle injury sustained in the league final win over Tipperary not sufficiently healed: however, manager Brian Cody is back on the sideline, following minor cardiac surgery, and TJ Reid is also back to fitness after his lengthy lay-off.
Therein lies the problem for Offaly: whatever uncertainties may have arisen in Cody’s mind during his brief absence will likely be addressed here, in terms of any tweaking of positions for the bigger challenges ahead. Brian Hogan, their All-Ireland winning captain of 2011, also articulated this week what it is that still drives Kilkenny: “(We) don’t take anything for granted,” he said, recalling how he lost his first championship game (the 2004 ambush by Wexford), and didn’t regain his starting place for another three years.
Kilkenny have taken Offaly apart with consistent ruthlessness since famously losing to them in the 1998 All-Ireland final. That remains the last time Offaly beat them in the championship.
It is, interestingly, Kilkenny’s first quarter-final since 1998, given they surrendered their Leinster title to Galway, and that does make for a more extended run into the later stages of the championship – and perhaps gives Offaly some hope too that Kilkenny mightn’t yet be at their sharpest.
In reality this is about having no regrets about the honesty of their effort, as Offaly manager Ollie Baker hinted at this week. Baker has included debutant corner back Seán Cleary, fresh from the under-21 team’s win over Laois midweek, while Ger Healion, Conor Mahon and Ciarán Slevin will hope to rekindle some of the potential for surprise they created with Kilcormac-Killoughey in the club championship.
