THE DUBLIN County Board are now confident Pat Gilroy will continue as senior football manager for at least another year – and intend reaching agreement on the matter this week.

While Dublin county chairman Andy Kettle admits they have given Gilroy the space and time he needs make up his mind, he also feels a decision is now pending: “Still no definite word yet,” said Kettle, “but we’re due to sit down this week, and all I can say is we’d be more confident he will stay on than say we would have been a fortnight ago . . . but we would be coming near the time now where we need to know one way or the other, because, if he’s staying on, which we hope, then that’s great, but if he’s not then we need to get other plans in place.”

Gilroy’s three-year term effectively came to an end with the All-Ireland triumph over Kerry last month, although inevitably the offer was there to continue.

Gilroy met his employers Dalkia last week to ascertain the level of future work commitments, and also met the players the weekend before, where there was reportedly unanimous commitment towards 2012 amongst the players.

Kettle is adamant there is no further room for manoeuvre in their club championship schedule and that any requests for postponements due to International Rules conflicts will fall on deaf ears.

“There’s just no way,” he said. “We’re at the business end of the championship now, and still under pressure to get it finished . . . The football quarter-finals are this Saturday, the semi-finals will possibly be played the middle for next week, with the final down for Sunday, November 6th.”

The Dublin champions are then due out in the Leinster championship the following Sunday, November 13th, against Meath champions Summerhill.

Former Dublin All-Ireland winner Jack Sheedy appears the only candidate still in the frame to become the next Offaly football manager, after Stephen Darby withdrew his name over the weekend.