Offaly have to win, says Baker

OFFALY know they must win on Sunday to remain in the hunt for promotion. “It’s quite simple, we have to win. We know what we need to do,” according to the Faithful County’s manager, Ollie Baker.
“Three teams have something to play for this week. Quite simply, we need to get a result and that will put us through to the final,” the former Clare star said.
Will it be difficult to be in charge of a team against his native county? “The fact that Clare are already through, we won’t be ruling them out if we win the game. We might have to fight our emotions on another day,” replied the Tullamore-stationed garda sergeant.
The former All-Star, who was at midfield in Clare’s Munster and All-Ireland winning teams in 1995 and 1997, was in Ennis on Sunday to see Clare account for Wexford. The previous evening he saw his charges draw with Limerick, helped by a last-minute goal from a controversial Shane Dooley penalty.
“Clare have come on with each game this year. They are on a bit of a roll at the moment. There was a good atmosphere in the park yesterday. There is a good atmosphere around the county at present, something which has been missing in recent times. There is a sense of hope and optimism around the county and, as a Clareman, I am delighted to see this,” Baker said.
Wolfe Tones’ Alan Cunningham is part of Baker’s Offaly backroom team. “I suppose it’s unique in a lot of ways to have a coach with one team and his son with the other side,” acknowledged the Barefield man. Cunningham’s son, Aaron, will be part of the Clare panel this weekend and is likely to play at some stage.
Baker knows all of the Clare players. “We have followed and supported them at U-21 and minor levels over the last three or four years and it’s been absolutely fabulous to have witnessed their successes. This Sunday we have to take care of the job,” he said, referring to his duty as Offaly manager.
For Sunday’s game, Baker and Cunningham will have to plan without Rory Hanniffy and Derek Molloy because of injury. On the plus side, the Coolderry players will be available for the first time in this campaign after their involvement in the club championship, which ended with defeat in the final against Antrim’s Lougheil Shamrocks.
Other than saying “we want to win every game”, Clare boss Davy Fitzgerald refused to say if his approach will be any different this week, given that Clare’s place in the Division 1B final is already secure.
Liam Markham, Aaron Cunningham and Colm Galvin, second-half substitutes last week, are likely to get more game time this week. Cathal McInerney will also be in contention but given that he was in action with the Clare U-21 footballers in the Munster semi-final against Cork on Wednesday, the mentors may opt to rest the Cratloe dual player.
It won’t be a surprise if the management team of Davy Fitzgerald, Louis Mulqueen and Mike Deegan avail of the opportunity to give some game time to players such as Diarmuid McMahon, who hasn’t featured in this league campaign. The Kilmaley man did line out in a challenge game on Saturday in Gort against a Galway selection. Saturday’s team also featured former Clare captain Brian O’Connell at centre-back.
The team that lined out was: Andrew Fahy; Marc O’Donnell, Brian Glynn, Mark Earley; Stephen O’Halloran, Brian O’Connell, Bryan Donnellan; Liam Markham, Colm Galvin; Diarmuid McMahon, Peter Duggan, Cathal Chaplin; Padraig Hickey, Aaron Cunningham, Eoin Hayes.