by Daragh Ó Conchúir

Back in January, when Laois got their Allianz League campaign under way with a win over Limerick at O'Moore Park, Ross Munnelly smiled at the suggestion that he would not have expected to be playing Division 4 football, 15 years after winning a Leinster Championship and an All-Star in his debut season as a teenager.

"You always need a challenge" he delivered over his shoulder walking out of the ground, nearly the last to leave.

On Sunday, he was back at Croke Park, where he had blitzed a goal to end his county's 57-year provincial title drought in the Mick O'Dwyer era that a whole generation of Laois supporters would not even remember now.

The 35-year-old illustrated his enduring importance as an on-field contributor as well as a calm head in his 15^th season of senior football, scoring four points, including too majestic finishes from play in the first half.

He isn't comfortable with the notion that he is doing something special or at least unusual to be enjoying such a length career at a time when ex inter-county players such as Meath's Joe Sheridan and Tipperary's Kieran Bergin have bemoaned the demands placed on elite operators.

"I mind myself" he says simply. "I've always said that playing for Laois was my priority, not just nine months of the year but all 12. It is not a sacrifice, I do these things because I really enjoy playing for Laois.

"From my perspective, it is far too long since we won a trophy and although it is Division 4, it is important to get silverware and it is important for the group of young players in there to come to Croke Park and win.

"It goes back to 2003 since I won a medal with Laois. So it is significant and a lot of the Laois players had never played a game in Croke Park before.

"There are no different rules for me. I was straight back in the first day of pre-season and anything the 18-year-olds are doing, I'm doing. "The important thing is minding yourself outside of training and I'm lucky that I can do that.

"Today isn't about me, it is about Laois and the whole group."

Just like his manager John Sugrue, while believing that winning a title at Croke Park was important, Munnelly is realistic about what it means going into a championship outing against Wexford on May 12.

But given the gradual slide from top-grade football to the basement, it should not be glossed over either.

"It is not that long ago really since we were playing in Division 1. We were relegated and then we spent a few years in Division 2 where we held our own.

"Then we had back-to-back relegations and that is not nice. It is not nice in the group to feel that and it does drain on the confidence. Sometimes, you need to take a step back before you can go forward and we've done that.

"We've got a good management team in place, we've rallied the troops. Thankfully we were able to do that in Division 4 but now we need to park that.

"We need to progress now in the Leinster championship because we haven't done that in a while."

With Munnelly as enthusiastic as ever, Wexford will be wary.

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