Six days after suffering a 19-point trouncing at the hands of a rampant Dublin outfit, Kildare must dust themselves down for today's qualifier clash away to neighbours Offaly.

The concern for Kildare supporters is that the nature of their loss to Jim Gavin & Co will have left them scarred both mentally and physically.

To make matters worse, David Hyland and Darroch Mulhall quit the panel during the week to head to the US for the summer.

Can the Faithful County rub salt into their neighbours wounds?

"This is a game that I imagine Pat Flanagan and a lot of the Offaly guys will imagine we are wounded," remarked Ryan, "and instead of being wounded and looking for a fight they'll be hoping that we're wounded and that we'll be limping and won't perform."

Pat Flanagan doesn't see things that way: "We are coming up against a team that played Division 2 football this year.

"They are not just going to come to Tullamore on Saturday and roll over. They have plenty of experience in their ranks and they will want to put things right."

Offaly's chances have suffered a blow with talisman Niall McNamee once again ruled out because of a knuckle injury.

The Rhode ace missed the first round qualifier win over Waterford and his absence seriously diminishes the home side's prospects of pulling off an upset.

Verdict - Kildare.

Offaly team: Alan Mulhall; Brian Darby, Paul McConway, Cian Donohue; Niall Darby, Johnny Moloney, Joseph O'Connor; Conor McNamee, Niall Smith; Peter Cunningham, Graham Guilfoyle, Anton Sullivan; Bernard Allen, Nigel Dunne, William Mulhall.

Kildare team: tbc.

Match details: Saturday; O'Connor Park; 3pm; extra-time playable.

Referee: Conor Lane.

Odds: Offaly 5/2; Draw 15/2; Kildare 4/9.

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