Leinster SFC: Ian O'Riordanhears from Offaly manager Pat Roe about the big challenge of taking on Dublin.

After a deliberately forgotten league and a quickly forgotten start to the championship, Offaly now face a sky-blue acid test.

After easing past Carlow in their quarter-final, they play Dublin in Croke Park this Sunday, and the game represents by far their biggest challenge since, well, they played Dublin in last year's Leinster final.

Manager Pat Roe admits they have very little to go on. Are they better or worse than last year? Their league form would suggest the latter, and while they did hit 2-19 against Carlow last Sunday week, that was effectively target practice such was the flimsiness of the opposition.

"No, we didn't learn a whole lot the last day," says Roe. "No great disrespect to Carlow but they were poor on the day, so it is difficult to judge our performance. I thought we played reasonably well in parts, but Dublin are the real acid test now, that's for sure.

"I watched Dublin on the box last Sunday, and obviously I was impressed by them. They're a very strong team and clearly play with a huge intensity and pace. They're going to be very difficult to stop, no doubt about it. I mean right now we are classed as a Division Four team, even though we mightn't be. And we're playing the potential All-Ireland champions."

Being "classed" as a Division Four team is clearly a touchy subject in the Faithful County. After the redrawing of the league format this year Offaly just missed out on Division Three status to Leitrim and Longford, though they lost a point in the boardroom after fielding an ineligible player against Longford, who took a point. They also lost to Leitrim and Monaghan by a single point.

It means if they lose to Dublin on Sunday they get no second chance, taking an immediate detour to the Tommy Murphy Cup. Roe, for obvious reasons, is not looking far beyond Sunday, but it's difficult to avoid talk of their potential fate.

"Of course I'm not happy, and I know I'm not the only one that feels that way. As I said, we're classed as a Division Four team, but I don't think we are a Division Four team. If we lose on Sunday we're out of the championship, while I think a few teams that aren't as good as us get a second chance.

"But that's the reality of it now and we're getting on with it. It was clear from the start of the league that this was the situation, so there's little point in giving out any more about it."

Offaly haven't beaten Dublin in the Leinster championship since 1982, winning the final by a massive nine points that year en route to the famous All-Ireland win over Kerry.

Dublin won last year's final by a similar margin, but that, suggests Roe, is the one thing that may work in Offaly's favour.

"Obviously I wasn't involved with the team last year, but I'm sure it will be an element. It has to be. They were fairly comprehensively beaten last year, and I know the lads feel they let themselves down. So I do see why they'll want to make up for that in a big way.

"The challenge is there for them, playing in front of a full house. That's where every team in the country wants to be, and my lads are no different. As a manager these are also the situations you want to be in.

"Hopefully the Offaly supporters will show up in good numbers and make themselves heard, which is not going to be easy. Dublin will still have the majority of support, and you know how that motivates them. So that's another challenge that we have to factor in as well."

Roe was involved with a previous championship clash with Dublin, as Wexford manager in the 2005 Leinster semi-final - losing 1-17 to 2-10 - and is certainly not writing off Offaly's chances: "Well it's hard to know. We seemed to plough a furrow through Division Two football in the league, and this is the first real chance to know where we stand in terms of the top teams. I just hope the players go out and give a good account of themselves, and if they do that you just never know."

Despite naming an unchanged team from the win over Carlow, Row is still unsure about right corner back Ger Rafferty after he sustained a knee injury at training over the weekend. Left corner back James Keane was already a doubt with an ankle injury from the quarter-final win.

"Obviously either of those will be a big loss if they don't make it," says Roe. "But we've worked hard since the Carlow game, and as a team we'll be well up for Dublin, that's for sure."