On a mission to put things right

All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers/Focus on Laois: With the All-Ireland football qualifiers reaching a climax this Saturday much of the attention will focus on Laois, who must be wondering if the second roll of the dice will ever run for them. For the third year in succession they've been drawn against Ulster opposition at a crucial stage of the season and their record to date hasn't been good.

Two years ago, having collected their first Leinster title in 57 years, they drew Armagh in the All-Ireland quarter-final and were eventually muscled out of it. Last year, eight days after surrendering their Leinster title to Westmeath after a replay, they were beaten out the gates of Croke Park by a Tyrone team intent on rediscovering their All-Ireland winning form.

This time around it's Derry, who travel to Croke Park on Saturday with only a slightly less fearsome reputation for man-eating football. Fronting the Laois attack will be Ross Munnelly, the sort of player Ulster teams like to sprinkle on their cornflakes in the morning, along with a double helping of protein powder.

Munnelly is known for his slight build and precocious skills but also his unbridled enthusiasm. It's no surprise then when he talks about Saturday's challenge like he's revved up for his first game of the season. Munnelly just doesn't play the down and out.

"I don't think motivation should be a problem with any player. You train eight months of the year to be involved in football at this time of the year, and whenever you're still involved in the championship there's always an incentive left there.

"But for us I think the motivation is even greater than it's ever been this year. The confidence was a little shook after losing the provincial final, as it would for any team. We were back training the Tuesday night after losing to Dublin, and obviously we were still disappointed, but the pride was hurting a bit as well.

"But we knew we had to look on the positive side as well. We'd played some cracking football in the second half, and we turned a five-point deficit into a two-point lead. The big negative was our first half, and the last couple of minutes of the game. So they're the things we've been working on, rather than trying to do anything drastic."

The major difference between Saturday's game and last year is that Laois have had three weeks to reset their winning attitude. Against Tyrone last year everything fell to pieces, with Munnelly's own game ending after the first half with an ankle injury that was clearly cramping his style. Though still only 23 he's looking older and wiser with every game, and came within inches of saving Laois against Dublin with a couple of brave kicks at closing time.

Yet that defeat hit the entire Laois team at the same level: "I think the whole second-half performance was built around the whole team improving their game. So that meant every one of us was as disappointed as the next one in the dressingroom afterwards. No one felt like they were carrying the blame more than another. So if we can work together again on Saturday I think we've a major chance.

"Derry are a very difficult team to turn over. But these are the games all footballers live for, to put all the commitment and dedication to good use. So I've no doubt we'll be in the shape we need to be to beat Derry. We've done our homework. They're a young side like us, and have similar ambitions. They've an excellent full-back line and an excellent full-forward line, and their midfield is very strong."

It seems not even Mick O'Dwyer has had to work too hard on lifting the Laois players this time. They looked back over the Dublin match and realised that playing for only 35 minutes is not going to win any game.

"We just didn't perform at all in the first half," adds Munnelly, "but you'd have to give Dublin a lot of credit because they didn't allow us to perform. They took the game by the scruff of the neck, and just started to dominate. We knew they should have been even further ahead.

"As a team we've looked at all that, and I think we've taken the right medicine to make sure we don't repeat that first-half show again on Saturday. Micko is such a massive motivator that this kind of scenario actually suits him. He's well able to lift players and get them to perform again.

"I think the big problem about last year was that we were put out a week after losing the Leinster final replay. That was an unfair blow, because we ended up having to play three games in 14 days. Not even Micko could get us out on top in that scenario."

If they win on Saturday then a rematch with Armagh lies in wait. Again Munnelly is obsessed with the positives. "You'd have to give a lot of credit to the GAA for getting things in order this year. The fixtures have definitely worked out better for everyone, and seem to be taking the players into consideration this year. That's created the situation where all the teams left in the championship now have a realistic chance of putting in decent performances.

"We've accepted the Leinster championship is over, and we're now in the All-Ireland series. Micko has been telling us for the past two weeks it's dangerous to look back, that we have to look forward. We've see this next game as the chance to put things right, just improve as a team."