The most recent passage of play in this stretching Leinster club final saga between Eire Og and Kilmacud Crokes involved Muckle Keating peering through the gloom in the first replay, spying Kilmacud's Mick Pender off his line and deftly flicking a lob which looped erroneously over the bar.

"I didn't realise that's what he was trying to do and I haven't seen the clip on television since, but some of the lads told me afterwards it was meant to be a lob. Brave guy, trying to chip a 6ft 4in 'keeper," laughed Pender earlier this week.

It was an apt conclusion to a misfit of a match during which both teams flounced around in conditions designed to highlight the folly of winter football. Referee Brian White looked to the darkening skies before sagely deciding against added time and, after consultation, the Leinster Council opted to soak the fixture in formaldehyde over the Christmas period in the hope that Ireland's playing fields might have dried out in the process.

"In some respects, it has been a nice break but there is definitely an expectation in the air again now," said Garvan Ware, the Eire Og midfielder who lined out for the team during both of their AllIreland club final losses.

Resident in Clane, Ware commutes daily to work in Kevin Street garda station, and although a transfer to a Kildare or Dublin club would make sense in many respects he has never entertained the notion.

"I'm sure there must be rules somewhere about Eire Og lads transferring to Kildare or Dublin clubs. I don't think it would be too welcome - from any angle."

Throughout the nineties, Eire Og have acted as surrogate carriers of the aspirations of all Carlow football followers and they will travel up to Newbridge tomorrow content that the loyal cavalcade will be in tow.

Kilmacud's suburban history leaves them altogether less certain of mass support. Although they won the All-Ireland club championship as recently as 1995, the sprawling nature of their catchment area leaves the club a relatively anonymous entity in comparison to Eire Og, around which Carlow town revolves.

"It's true to say that most Dublin clubs don't benefit from the same intensity of support as rural clubs, and Kilmacud Crokes play in an area not traditionally associated with the GAA. But if anyone was to walk around here now, it is evident that an effort has been made. People have flags out, the Stillorgan Park hotel has the bunting out again and among GAA supporters, there is keen anticipation," says Pender.

Yet while Kilmacud Crokes can bank on their usual hardcore support, the Dublin County Board's decision to fire ahead with its normal club schedule will almost certainly lessen the incidental support the club might have hoped for.

So tomorrow they will line up for the anthem in Newbridge facing, in all probability, a partisan crowd and a team which they may feel should already be behind them. A tough scenario?

"Well, it's fair to say we really ought to have won on the first occasion," opines Kilmacud manager Robbie Kelleher.

"And equally, we might well have won the replay given that we went ahead two minutes into injury time. But we had never established a lead prior to that point and Eire Og missed opportunities to put us away earlier in the game, so both teams could be said to carry regrets in that respect. But the conditions were so atrocious in the last game that I think both teams were relieved to still be in contention afterwards."

The Leinster club final and the equivalent in Munster and Connacht were all contested in spectacularly malign conditions, wind and remorseless rain reducing play to a farcical level at times. "It was an unrealistic game to play in," recalls Pender.

"I don't think either 'keeper had a save to make over the entire match. Both sets of backs were marking tightly, but the forwards just couldn't get any decent supply or get things going.

"In the second half, for example, it was more or less impossible to bounce the ball, it just splashed. And when you'd kick the ball out, anything over 30 yards got a cheer from the crowd. Forty yards and they were going crazy."

Eire Og manager Pat Critchley moved Ware to midfield at the outset of the replay, desperate to introduce some sort of rhythm to his forward lines.

"We were building up very well from the back, but constantly let ourselves down in the final third of the field. Maybe we were over elaborating. But Kilmacud are physically a lot stronger than us and it was reassuring that we stood up to them in the replay," says Critchley.

Like Kelleher, Critchley is expecting a purer performance from his attacking players tomorrow, but if the game turns into a shootout, most would expect the city side to advance.

"The thought of their front six in free flow is frightening, I suppose," concedes Ware.

"There has been a lot said about Mick O'Keefe and (Ray) Cosgrove and they have a lot of other talent besides. But our defenders have coped so well to date and if we start delivering the kind of ball our forwards need, we could do some damage also."

Kelleher has stated that Kilmacud concentrate on improving their attacking creativity on a constant basis, yet they have advanced through Leinster on the back of low-scoring victories, despite fielding a bunch of highlylauded forwards.

"Well, the further you advance, the better-quality defenders you encounter. I'm not surprised by the scores. On average, you need to hit 1-12 or so to win in Dublin championship games. That tends to drop in Leinster and there are a lot of factors - conditions have a major bearing."

Both managers point to midfield when weighing up the potential key area. Thus far, Jody Morrissey and Ware have fared well against the Kilmacud duo of Maurice Leahy and John Costello.

"Well, the first day I'd have to say that Jody was in amazing form, he really came into his own," comments Ware.

"But during the last match I don't think there was a clean ball caught and we may see a similar situation develop tomorrow. I think it's vital that we get our share of broken ball."

Despite Eire Og's prominence in the competition over the past decade, Critchley has blooded a number of young players over the season, such as Brian Carbery and Paul Doyle.

Thus far, Eire Og have advanced on a backbone of fortitude and were tagged as underdogs going into the original game against Crokes, a team perceived to be coasting through the autumn and winter. That attitude won't have changed much over the past six weeks.

"Well, the previous matches have illustrated that there hasn't been very much to choose from in terms of scores. It will be the same tomorrow, I think," says Kelleher.

In fact it could hinge on the old intangible.

"Whoever has the bit of luck. That might be enough," concludes Kelleher.

Eire Og: J Kearns; B Hayden, A Corcoran, J Dooley; J Murphy, P Doyle, A Callinan; J Morrissey, T Nolan; B Carbery, G Ware, K Haughney; W Quinlan, L Turley, A Keating.

Kilmacud Crokes: M Pender; C O'Dwyer, C Deegan, C Cleary (capt); J O'Callaghan, J McGee, R Leahy; J Costello, M Leahy; P Ward, M Dillon, P Burke; R Cosgrove, R Brennan, M O'Keeffe.