Laois SFC final: Leinster champions Portlaoise return to the county final against Stradbally on Sunday without several key players from last season's run to the All-Ireland club final. In particular, Martin Delaney has returned to America despite playing in the replayed semi-final victory over Emo.
The 1996 All-Ireland winning Laois minor captain works in Chicago, therefore joining intercounty players Colm Parkinson and Colm Byrne in self-imposed exile after they opted out of football this year.
To make matters worse, teenage prodigy Jack Fennell had his appendix removed this week, ensuring his absence after a scoring debut last weekend.
"It was hard to get back into it with the appetite waning slightly after players going straight from club to county and back to club football without any break," admitted manager Tommy Conroy. "We had been stuttering through games and Stradbally already beat us in the league section of the championship by three points. With fellas not coming back, having gone off travelling or injured, the hunger or motivation has been lacking but they still showed plenty of character to get past Emo."
Stradbally have a strong forward line with Aussie Rules-bound Colm Begley, county forward Gary Kavanagh and veteran Damien Delaney as an impact replacement, but it has been the form of Colm Kelly that will cause Portlaoise most concern.
However, the defending champions shut out the influence of adopted Kerryman Billy Sheehan last weekend.
"Tactically, I think Emo got it wrong in the semi-final by putting Billy Sheehan into full forward when playing into a strong first-half wind," said Stradbally manager Martin Murphy.
Murphy is an Offaly native but took up the reins in Stradbally last January with the club at a low ebb after being well beaten in last year's quarter-final by O'Dempseys and a surprise final defeat to Arles-Kilcruise in 2003.
For extra spice, both managers work alongside each other as prison officers in Portlaoise jail.
"I've known Tommy since 1987 when we both worked in Mountjoy and we have been back working together for the last five years," continued Murphy.
"There is a good old bit of banter but we are not talking about football anymore."
Friendships will be put on hold for an hour this Sunday.
