GAELIC GAMES/ All-Ireland SF Qualifier: It was the draw that sparked fresh jokes about fixing and added more motive to those praying for Tommy Lyons, and yet Longford are thoroughly animated about the prospect of playing Dublin. Round three of the All-Ireland footballer qualifiers marks their fourth championship match of the summer, and normally Longford might require four years to get the same number, writes Ian O'Riordan
"We knew the other seven teams left in there were hoping to draw us," says manager Denis Connerton, "that we were the softest opposition left in there. And obviously with all the strong teams left we were going to get a tough draw.
"But we're just excited to be where we haven't been before. And it's great to draw a team like Dublin. To us they'd be sort of the Manchester United of Gaelic football, so of course you are going to get excited about playing them. And it's great for us to be playing football in July, playing one of the top teams. And with all the pressure on Dublin. They're red-hot favourites."
Longford will start Saturday's game in Portlaoise as the team expected to fall, and yet they have been quietly rebuilding since their surprise exit from the Leinster championship at the hands of Carlow on May 9th. They beat Monaghan in round one after extra time and they gradually eased past Waterford last Saturday.
"I think Monaghan would have been difficult opposition for any team," adds Connerton. "They were very tough. We went into that thinking it was a 50-50 game. So we were very glad to get out of that one."
Before the next match there was the prospect of a walkover, as the Waterford players felt aggrieved at having to travel to Longford. The game was reset for Portlaoise.
"To be honest I thought that was an awful fiasco. We didn't know until the Wednesday morning where the game was going to be played or if it was going to go ahead at all. And that definitely hampered our preparations."
Just where it all leaves Longford remains to be seen. Connerton is satisfied form and confidence are on the rise again, closer to the level that saw them beat Kerry and then Westmeath in their opening games of the league. Coming through the two qualifiers has got most of the unease out of their system.
"A lot of it goes back to playing Division One football this year. It had been 31 years since Longford got that sort of experience. I know starting out that one of our main objectives was to stay in Division One. And we did get off to a great start, beating Kerry and Westmeath. But then we came up against Tyrone at full throttle, and that really knocked us back. And in a way I don't think we ever recovered."
They ended up losing to Dublin on the last day of the league, and were relegated on points difference. Coming into the championship they lost the services of David Blessington (injured) and David Barden (suspended), and by then it seemed anything that could go wrong had gone wrong.
"We don't just have the depth to cover that. I know I keep saying that, but people seem to think we're hiding the players somewhere. We have added a few players alright, like Declan Reilly, a member of the Leinster winning minor team of 2002.
"But to me the qualifiers are still set up to suit the stronger teams. We've seen the way Armagh and Galway have come back through them in recent years, and Tyrone already seem to be gathering pace again. And I feel Dublin are taking some shape again. I thought they got some very harsh criticism after the Westmeath match, but they took some good lessons from it."
Just like last weekend's victory for Fermanagh over Meath, the qualifiers have a habit of shooting down high-profile teams. Connerton isn't banking on good fortune: "Any footballer with any sort of dream or aspiration will look forward to a game like this. It's a great opportunity to show their worth. But we know we're going to have to play extremely well, and that Dublin will probably need to show another dip in form."
