Tierney defends Offaly ahead of Leinster opener

Offaly's Shane Tierney is in no mood to dwell on a league campaign that didn't yield a point from seven games in an ultra-competitive Allianz Football League Division 2.

But before he looks ahead to this weekend's Leinster championship opener with next door neighbours Laois, he is keen to rationalise the past few months from an Offaly perspective.

Tierney was one of 11 players who was sidelined for most of the Division 2 campaign, which looked more like an extended first tier competition than anything else.

"A lot of the injuries came in the club championships when the county team wasn’t even together so we knew that there was a battle in store when we regrouped as a panel," he said.

The Daingean man alone was a huge loss. A couple of years ago he hit 1-08 in an intermediate county final to send his side up to Senior 'B.

As if that wasn’t enough, Offaly had to cope without the enormous talents of Cillian Burke, who attended the AFL Combine in Australia last September before signing for two years as a rookie with the Essendon Bombers in Melbourne.

Tierney said: "The injuries we had mean that we were down 11 or 12 starters from last year through various stages of the campaign. And Cillian went as well.

"We were texting as a panel right up until the news of his contract but we only wish him well. He came into our panel last year for the first time and it was clear he was a man on a mission.

"There was no messing around – his talent is enormous and he applied himself straight away. And we want only the best for him in Australia and as Cian McBride (Meath footballer and ex- Essendon AFL player) has shown he might always yet come back and play for his county. But to see an Offaly man out there brings nothing but pride."

Tierney admits the winter was tough.

"Mickey Harte always told us in training in between games to imagine what life would be like when the full panel finally got back together," he said.

"We went into every game fighting hard but it wasn’t just us that struggled. Top teams like Derry and Tyrone, to an extent, had problems here and there too so we had just come up from the third division and I think whilst the task was big we never let the heads drop.

"Now lads are back and we have been building towards the Laois game now for a number of weeks. A local derby, a new competition and everything else is in the past.

"I think we have learned a lot from Division 2 and while results were not great, new lads have got a run and players have been tried out in different positions so our panel is strong and we are looking forward to Laois."

Tierney was at pains to appeal to the Offaly faithful to come out and support them.

Some of their home games were poorly attended and Tierney says that it is up to the players to give the supporters a team they can get behind.

Little over 600 people attended their home match against Cavan.

"The Offaly supporters have shown at minor and Under-20 level in both hurling and football that they can turn out in their droves," he said.

"We didn’t give them much to cheer about in the league.

"But we have regrouped now and we want them behind us for the Laois game and beyond.

"They gave us huge belief last year and we wouldn’t have got out of Division 3 only for them.

"Even after losing to Kildare in the Tailteann Cup last year (by just a point) our first thoughts were that we had let down the supporters.

"Hopefully they will come back in behind us now.

"It has been a tough year but we are definitely taking positives out of it.

"We learned some harsh lessons but we learned them quickly.

"This is the most exciting Leinster championship in years. Dublin, Louth, Meath are probably a little ahead but there is a group of us that will all fancy our chances if we win our first game."

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