If ever Micko's daring words are needed it is here. "That is a cracking team, a great county. They always play with their hearts, with spirit and fire. And they played with all that again today."
Truer words O'Dwyer has never spoken, and in this tribute to Offaly he helps unravel the startling game in Kilkenny on Saturday evening. In all his days with Kildare and even Kerry he couldn't have tested more nerves, or seen players test more muscles.
"Ah I've been involved in some unbelievable games since I came to Kildare," he added, "and that one today would stand up with any of them." For 70 minutes it was football of unstoppable force, and for another 20 it stayed charged and genuine. Never once did it slip into the predictable, almost every moment a war against cliché.
After all the twists and turns though, that Kildare won by a point and progress to the Leinster final is easily assessed. Like an old 15-round heavyweight bout they simply outlasted their opponents, and won the decision. Offaly took every hit, including a man sent off in the first half, stood firm throughout, but just couldn't land a winner.
When time ran out and they dropped in unison, the Offaly players could have no regrets. Only tears. Ciarán McManus was inconsolable as he came off carrying the Man of the Match award, but he could just have easily been given an All Star award to spare debate later in the year.
Like the win over Laois and the draw with Kildare a week ago, McManus stood out like a monument. His inspiration and mental vision were limitless and his scores were crucial especially his second-half penalty. When Offaly lost Seán Grennan to a second yellow card after 23 minutes, McManus more than anyone doubled as the extra man.
Yet there were Offaly heroes elsewhere. John Kenny rattled the Kildare attack and Finbar Cullen was collecting ball by the bucket load from centre back. Roy Malone too was on fire at full forward until he was replaced.
Still Kildare landed the heavier punches. Dermot Earley stole their first goal just before half-time by out-jumping goalkeeper Pauric Kelly, and two more in the second half - a wonderful solo from Eddie McCormack then a sweet combo from Martin Lynch to Ronan Sweeney - ultimately sealed Offaly's fate. "Cracking goals, man", admitted Micko. "Well worked and well executed. But we needed them when we got them, that was the important thing. Points were no good at that stage, we needed the old goal. And then I think we just outlasted them. We did."
The penalty from McManus on 55 minutes closed down those goals, and left the score at 1-12 to 3-6. (The call on Barry Mooney that brought it, however, was a little dubious, with Padraig Hurley's foul more likely a legal flick.) That the last 15 minutes were played out without another score hardly registered because the tension never wilted, nor did the shots on goal as both sides had a succession of chances to sneak the defining score.
Once the game spilled into extra-time, Kildare's greater endurance was gradually revealed. Lynch finally chipped over a point after an evening of trying and Sweeney's effort then established the crucial cushion. Even restored to 15 men, Offaly were now struggling to stay the pace, and Colm Quinn's last free on 92 minutes was just too little too late.
All manager Padraig Nolan could do then was praise his men. "Our lads did themselves proud. Played terrific football with a man down. But that was probably what beat us in the end, the tiredness, because they had worked so hard."
Searching for some reason, Nolan also felt some decisions went against them. "There was a free for them at the start of second half of extra time, when James Grennan had actually been dragged down. That was a specific example."
O'Dwyer used seven substitutes in the game, all to good effect, but he had particular praise for one Karl O'Dwyer: "Well I think his work rate was better today than I've ever seen on the pitch. He contested everything. I told him to lie back and he created a lot, and he challenged. And he drove at players. That wasn't his game before, but today it was.
"And I mean you talk about professional and amateur sports. There were amateurs out there and they played their hearts out, for the jersey that they were wearing. These lads should be seen after, and they should be treated properly. Because there's nothing else like them anywhere else in the world."
HOW THEY LINED OUT
KILDARE: 1 E Murphy; 2 B Lacey, 3 P Mullarkey, 4 K Doyle; 5 T Harris, 6 D Hendy, 7 A Rainbow; 8 K Brennan, 9 D Earley; 10 E McCormack, 11 J Doyle, 12 R Sweeney; 15 P Brennan, 14 M Lynch, 13 T Fennin. Subs: R Quinn for Mullarkey (28 mins), K O'Dwyer for K Brennan (half-time), G Ryan for Harris (47 mins), P Hurley for P Brennan (48 mins), K Duane for E McCormack (65 mins), P Murray for Quinn (71 mins), D McCormack for Hurley (90 mions).
Booked: B Lacey (25 mins), K O'Dwyer (66 mins), R Sweeney (70 mins).
OFFALY: 1 P Kelly; 2 C Daly, 3 J Kenny, 4 B Mooney; 6 G Rafferty, 11 F Cullen, 7 K Slattery; 23 J Grennan, 9 C McManus; 17 N Coughlan, 8 S Grennan, 12 A McNamee; 10 C Quinn, 14 R Malone, 15 P Kelleghan. Subs: V Claffey for Coughlan (56 mins), P Mulhare for Malone (63 mins), D Ryan on as 15th man for extra time, D Claffey for Ryan, J Kilmurray for Kelleghan (both 83 mins), J Hurst for Mulhare (90 mins).
Booked: S Grennan (8 mins), P Kelleghan (25 mins), A McNamee (50 mins). Sent off: S Grennan (27 mins).
