Leinster SFC Offaly v Laois: Ian O'Riordan talks to Offaly's Kevin Kilmurray and Declan O'Loughlin of Laois about Sunday's quarter-final game

Offaly manager Kevin Kilmurray is playing down the suggestion of it being some sort of revenge match, but Sunday's Leinster football quarter-final against Laois is clearly a game loaded with personal vendettas and still boiling rivalry. The last championship meeting alone would justify Offaly's added incentive to win.

Although Kilmurray wasn't manager at the time, he was present in Portlaoise two years ago when Offaly had Laois on the run for 70 minutes before a late goal from Michael Lawlor helped earn Laois a replay - which they won . . . And last year Kilmurray also looked on as Westmeath sneaked past Offaly by a point, but only after an earlier score was flagged good, when to most people it appeared to go wide.

"I think championship football brings out that old rivalry between Offaly and Laois anyway," says Kilmurray, who tasted plenty of rivalry with Laois back in his playing days. And when he helped Offaly win the All-Ireland in 1972, Mick O'Dwyer, now Laois manager, was on the beaten Kerry team.

"But I do think it was daylight robbery two years ago, which was made worse by the fact that Laois won the replay and then went on to win the Leinster title. And against Westmeath last year you had the situation when the umpire waved the point even though he hadn't bothered to look up. But we're fit now and ready to go, and that's the most important thing."

Lawlor's goal of two years ago will probably never be forgotten by the Offaly players. It turned a two-point deficit deep into injury-time into a one-point advantage, but Ciarán McManus held his nerve to steer a 45-metre kick over the bar and earn the replay. A week later, Laois delivered a more energetic performance to win by three points, and thus celebrate their first championship victory over Offaly in Tullamore since 1968.

Laois selector Declan O'Loughlin is equally aware that the old rivalry is enough to guarantee a grinding contest. Both teams believe they can win, and have a right to win. "Every year we meet it's like that," says O'Loughlin. "It's been unbelievable how close they've been, and if you got back over the years you'll rarely find anything more than a kick of a ball between us. Go back to 1971, when Offaly played Laois in Portlaoise, and I know it was incredibly close, and then Offaly went on to win the All-Ireland. In 1982 they won with a last kick of the game, a goal from John Guinan, and went on again to win the All-Ireland. They're always very tight games and we both know there won't be much in it on Sunday. "Two years ago we were very lucky to come away with a draw. We realised that on the day, and have admitted it several times since."

Offaly then endured an equally frustrating afternoon last year which may well have cost them a possible draw against Westmeath. They were adamant Brian Morley's 22nd minute point for Westmeath had flashed wide, but the score stood and Offaly lost by a point. And this time Westmeath went on to win the Leinster title.

Kilmurray, however, is more concerned about the present than the past. With Laois in mind, he has made two changes in his starting line-up from that team that beat Louth earlier this month. Pascal Kellaghan is brought back into the forward line, while Mark Daly, who came on as a substitute the last day, retains his place at centre forward ahead of Damien Hunt.

"It's definitely a case of horses for courses," explains Kilmurray. "Pascal did miss out on most of the league for the simple reason that he was getting married, and was then away on honeymoon. We agreed that once he'd finished with all those personal details he'd come back to us. He was doing some work on his own obviously and keeping in touch with the trainers. So we'd no problem bringing him back in.

"Mark Daly is also a big-time player. It came to a toss of a coin whether or not he started against Louth, and this time we've decided to give him the nod. He probably has a little more experience as well."

Laois aren't totally denying the idea that they, too, picked a team best suited to the Offaly challenge. "Well essentially what we did was select a team on the basis of who was playing the better football at the moment," says O'Loughlin. "But Ian Fitzgerald has started to play very well again, and he does have a very good record against Offaly, especially when he captained the team two years ago. Darren Rooney is moved to full back as well but he's already proven to be successful there. It's a bit of a worry for us not having a competitive game since the end of the league. But Mick O'Dwyer has a great ability to keep lads motivated and focused."

For the record, it's all square from their 26 previous championship meetings - with 11 wins each, and four draws. Yet another incentive to win.