Offaly goalkeeper Alan Mulhall insists there will be no shadow boxing in tomorrow's Allianz League Division 4 final against Longford.

The midland rivals will meet again in a few weeks' time in the first round of the Leinster SFC when the stakes will be considerably higher, but the GAA coaching and games development manager stresses that tomorrow's final is an important game in its own right.

"I'm just thinking that it is a league final and any final I get into, I want to go and win," the Walsh Island clubman told the Tullamore Tribune.

"To me, a league final has to be won and then the championship match has to be won. It doesn't really matter who it is. They (Longford) are after beating us in the last few games, but looking at the way the game went the last day, I am not fearful of losing any game to Longford.

"I think we have improved an awful lot. I am not sure how much more they can improve. We certainly have improved and we want to perform on Saturday."

Offaly had three players sent off in the regulation round match, but the 32-year-old is adamant there is no bad blood between the sides.

"I don't think there will be an undercurrent," he continued.

"The performance of the referee really contributed to what was not a dirty game. There was one incident where something happened. The rest was harmless enough. A badly-timed tackled for two yellows and one for dissent. There is not really an undercurrent in it."

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