GAELIC GAMES/Dublin v Offaly: The closer these sort of matches get, the less straightforward they look.

Much of the favouritism attaching ante-post to whoever emerged from Dublin's side of the draw was based on the status of the champions and last year's runners-up Laois but there was also an assumption that whoever made the final would have had a testing semi-final under their belt.

Instead Dublin's first round in Longford was the big examination whereas Offaly have had three competitive matches against reasonable opposition.

Maybe Dublin's semi-final win looks better in the light of Laois's dispatch of Tyrone but for all the gritty application of that display, Mick O'Dwyer's team were poor beyond belief three weeks ago. Still the bandwagon is rolling and yesterday the GAA announced tomorrow's finals at Croke Park are a complete sell-out and that there will be no further sale of tickets for the game.

Of the top contenders for the All-Ireland, only Armagh have started to stretch their legs so far and if Dublin are to be credible contenders they're going to have to see off this challenge with something to spare.

Unlike the Longford match, the semi-final didn't provide any ongoing diagnostic for manager Paul Caffrey and his men so any necessary repairs will have to take place at the track.

Offaly bring a couple of assets to their first provincial final in nine years. One is tradition: at the start of the championship, a discussion about football in the province elicited the interesting opinion of Leinster chair Liam O'Neill that Offaly were still considered one of the province's big three along with Dublin and Meath despite having won only one title, 1997, in the past 24 years.

The current team would have been credible champions in recent times given the successes of Westmeath and Laois, both of whom survived Offaly's challenge by the narrowest of margins.

It has therefore meant a lot to the county to get back to a Leinster final and position themselves for a crack at the title. They won't be under any outsize pressure and if they can manage a positive start Dublin are there to be worried.

But there was also plenty to encourage the champions in their big win against Laois. The move of Bryan Cullen to centre half back might have come at the expense of ball-winning capacity in the half forwards but it creates a super platform at the back.

Cullen's football ability means good distribution but he also has a defensive edge, as when he nailed Billy Sheehan early on and effectively discouraged the Laois half forward from the sort of exuberance that tied Tyrone up in knots a week ago.

Up front Caffrey's selection reintroduced Ray Cosgrove to the attack and the Kilmacud player produced the sort of performance that made him an All Star four years ago.

With him and Tomás Quinn providing the cutting edge and Conal Keaney and Alan Brogan providing back-up in that department as well as effective distribution, Jason Sherlock directing traffic - and providing the assist for two of the goals - and Kevin Bonner improving the ball-winning capacity, it's a decent and well ordered attack.

The sharpness and economy of Offaly's strike forwards Niall McNamee and Thomas Deehan was a stand-out feature but their marksmanship was needed, as Wexford closed in on them on a couple of occasions and but for a sluggishness in translating territory into scores would have made the match more of a chase for Kevin Kilmurray's team.

At centrefield Ciarán McManus and Alan McNamee have every chance to establish a foothold or better but the associated exchanges will be tighter than in the Westmeath and Kildare matches because Dublin's half lines will cover the breaks and exert greater pressure.

A further advantage for Dublin is the strength and variety of the replacements' cover. Paddy Christie is there should the full-back line be in trouble although the feeling here is that Barry Cahill would be more comfortable following John Reynolds out the field assuming Offaly again play the two-man inside line.

Darren Magee can add a change of emphasis to centrefield whereas Declan Lally's pace and Mark Vaughan's unpredictability can pep up the attack.

Although Offaly have the self-assurance and menace to spring a surprise if allowed there are sufficient reasons to believe Dublin can get the sort of win that gives them momentum going into the all-Ireland stages.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Henry, B Cahill, P Griffin; P Casey, B Cullen, C Goggins; C Whelan, S Ryan; C Keaney, A Brogan, R Cosgrove; T Quinn, K Bonner, J Sherlock.

OFFALY: P Kelly; G Rafferty, S Sullivan, N Grennan; P McConway, S Brady, K Slattery; C McManus, A McNamee; D Hunt, P Kellaghan, N Coughlan; T Deehan, J Reynolds, N McNamee.