Offaly selector Pat McLoughney is confident that his team won't be lacking motivation when they take on champions Clare in the first All-Ireland semi-final at the weekend.

In addition to the All-Ireland final of three years ago, when the roles were reversed and Clare dethroned Offaly, McLoughney, who was also a selector then, cites annoyance over the delayed start to the League meeting between the sides in April as further cause.

"We're looking for one good crack at them," he says. "They left us waiting on the field and we've a few crows to pluck with them.

"It was on Easter Saturday and the match was supposed to start at six o'clock. We were on the pitch, Willie Barrett (the referee) was on the pitch but it was 6.15, 6.20 before they eventually came out.

"It's just the way they try to psyche out teams. It wouldn't unsettle us; we'd use it as motivation for ourselves.

"There's too much of the mind games in hurling at the moment; it's taking the sport out of it. We don't believe in changing selections the day of matches. You can go by the programmes with us.

"I don't know why they do it. They don't need to. Clare have been the best team in Ireland for the past two or three years."

He acknowledges that Offaly have much to do if Sunday's match is even to get as far as mind games. Despite having reached the last four, the team has played poorly throughout the campaign with the possible exception of the opening match against an outclassed Meath.

"I suppose Clare would be favourites at the moment. We will have to get our act together because we've been playing badly and have to do better.

"We were favourites in 1995 but I always respected Clare and never considered them an easy touch. They were better that day and I wouldn't take that away from them. But we've made a good few changes since then, five or six."

Clare will be making a couple of enforced changes if Friday night's Munster Council meeting decides to suspend centrefielder Colin Lynch on video evidence.

McLoughney says Offaly would prefer Lynch to play - presumably on the basis that it doesn't help Offaly if there are too many grievances on Clare's plate.

Offaly's success this decade was built almost exclusively on the minor All-Ireland-winning sides of 1986, '87 and '89 but since then the flow of under-age silverware has largely dried up.

Despite winning Leinster under-21 titles in 1991 and '92, the county failed to win an All-Ireland and hasn't emerged from the province at either minor or under-21 level since.

McLoughney rejects the conventional view that the advancing age profile of the current seniors will bring a lengthy spell out of the limelight.

"Age is not a problem for us but the players have a terrible amount of hurling done. There is a fair number coming through, like the Whelahans (Simon and Barry) and John Ryan. There's six under-21s on the panel, 10 between this year's and last year's.

"Offaly hasn't been successful at under-age but a lot of times were only beaten by small margins. Under-age success is important but a county can manage without it. Clare didn't have a great record at under-age before coming through at senior."

McLoughney has no explanation for the team's poor form. Matters have hardly been helped by the very public fallout between the players and Babs Keating, who resigned after post-match criticism of his players turned into a rancorous row.

The appointment of Michael Bond as Keating's successor may have calmed things down a bit but the performance against Antrim wasn't convincing. Facing such daunting opposition on Sunday, McLoughney remains confident that Offaly can at least compete against Clare.

"I'd be happier if we were hurling better and we have to up our game. I don't have any reason why things have gone badly for us but everyone is giving 100 per cent commitment and effort and I'm sure we'll give a good account of ourselves."

On the injuries front, prospects are better for Offaly than for quite a while. Only Daithi Regan is definitely out because of a calf injury and McLoughney says he and his fellow selectors will have virtually a full pick.

There were concerns last week over centre forward John Troy, who was involved in a car crash, but he hasn't sustained any serious injury whereas Johnny Dooley, who missed the quarterfinal because of a fractured cheekbone, is back in action.

"John Troy is doubtful because he's had a good lot of stitches in his face but we haven't ruled him out and Johnny Dooley will be fit to play," says McLoughney.