Paul O'Kelly's nerves could hardly have stopped jangling when he gave an impromptu press conference under the stand in O'Moore Park.

His Offaly team had controlled this championship skirmish in the domain of neighbouring Laois for much of the 70 minutes, but O'Kelly must have been vibrating at the thought that a draw had certainly beaten the alternative after conceding an injury-time goal.

"As Mick O'Dwyer knows, you never have a match won until the whistle goes. I think with a bit more experience we would have closed out that last goal. That didn't happen, but we showed our determination after the goal. We worked the ball brilliantly, put the pressure on, nearly got a score and got a 50. Ciarán McManus showed his class with a kick under huge pressure.

"That was our first really serious competitive game since Westmeath. Two teams that both really wanted to win the game, two teams that were well prepared. I think it was a fantastic exhibition of football, a very honest game, some wonderful tackling, some great open play, uncompromising - that suits us, that's the way we like it."

That's the way it was for the first half and Offaly deserved their five-point lead. The one phase of play that saw them under pressure was immediately after the break when Laois shuffled their deck and reeled off the five points required.

"Football is a very dynamic game," said O'Kelly. "We didn't settle back into the second half with the same kind of energy. Laois made a few switches and it took us a bit of time to respond to them."

Overall the match was vindication of a youth policy that saw roughly half of the finishing 15 composed of under-21s, with secret weapon Niall McNamee still a minor.

"It was a vital thing that the younger players did very well out there. You've seen some outstanding performances from our goalkeeper (Kevin Meehan), Ger Rafferty at full back, John Reynolds and Niall McNamee, who no one knew anything about until this morning - unless you live in Offaly. All these guys have a great future. When the future happens for them is another question."

O'Kelly was adamant that McNamee had to be protected from any publicity surge and was happy with the teenager's display, despite an understandable fade towards the end.

"Experience will allow him to stay in the game, and late on he was still taking shots."

O'Kelly's counterpart, Mick O'Dwyer, has 50 years experience of senior intercounty championship, but on occasions like this it's as if he has just discovered the habit. His enthusiasm vibrates around the corridor.

"They were well on top but we hung in. Being behind five points at half-time, I'd say the majority of people around the pitch thought 'this is Laois again'. By Jaysus our fellas came out in the second half and played with great fire, great spirit and determination. That was a cracking goal in the finish, well won by Fitzpatrick and back of the net by Lawlor.

"That was a cracking game of football. There's no losers out there today - no winners, but no losers. That's what Gaelic football is all about, played in that spirit. Outstanding."

The replay? "There is room for improvement all the time, even in myself," announced O'Dwyer to appreciative guffaws.

O'Kelly was less skittish: "Every day we've gone out, we've improved. We will improve. No doubt."