Incentives alone don't win football matches but Laois have two carrots dangling in front of them for tomorrow's All-Ireland minor football final against Tyrone at Croke Park.
The Leinster champions are aiming for a third successive title, a feat attained by only three counties - Kerry, Cork and Dublin - and their will-o'-the-wisp attacker, Brian McDonald, has a chance of winning a third minor medal, a feat only Brendan Reidy, the Kerry goalkeeper from 193133, has achieved.
Tyrone's motivation is the fact the Laois beat them in last year's decider.
Laois manager, Oliver Phelan, says the Ulster champions are entitled to start favourites because of the conviction of many of their six victories. But he adds: "It is difficult to say whether it is a case of them [Tyrone] being so far ahead or the opposition being poor."
Tyrone's joint manager, Fr Gerard McAleer, says the team have built tremendous spirit since barely surviving against Down in Omagh but winning the replay in Newry by six points.
"We play as a unit. Technically and skilfully, we are fine. We possess a lot of natural skills and a high work rate."
The return of Kevin Hughes from an ankle injury should steady the mid-field. He partners captain, Cormac McAnallen. Eoin Mulligan of Cookstown, who deputised in mid-field against Leitrim, moves to the left corner of attack, with Martin Hughes, who was called up for the semi-final, retaining his place on the "40" to the exclusion of Ryan Mellon. Laois are more battle-hardened. Following a comparatively easy time against Longford in their opening match, they were buffeted in the turbulence created by Offaly, Kildare, Dublin and Kerry.
The only change from the semi-final sees John Graham return to the goals after injury.
Brian "Beano" McDonald is as content on the "40" as he is on the fringe of the square. This time he is to start at centre half forward, posing an intimidating prospect for Darren O'Hanlon.
If Laois expect to exert pressure on Tyrone with their unpredictability, Tyrone's policy of moving the ball swiftly, enhanced by dovetailing wing backs Ciaran Meenagh and Peter O'Neill, could prove effective. Against Leitrim in the semi-final, Gavin Wylie was the only Tyrone player from left wing back to left corner forward who failed to score.
Tyrone are better prepared than they were for the Leitrim game, in which they hit 21 wides after the Omagh bombing had unsettled them. Tomorrow, if they can minimise errors and match their fluency though the field with scores on the board, they can frustrate Laois's ambitions.
Tyrone: P McConnell; G Devlin, M McGee, F Loughran; C Meenagh, D O'Hanlon, P O'Neill; C McAnallen, K Hughes; K Wylie, M Hughes, S O'Neill; A Lynch, E McGinley, E Mulligan.
Laois: - J Graham; R Jones, B Gaynor, C Clear; A Fennelly, P Leonard, B McCormack; J Behan, B Fitzpatrick; M Dunne, B McDonald, K Kelly; J M McDonald, P Clancy, M Clancy.
