YOU CONCEDE 10 goals in a championship game — that’s not what all the hard grafting through the mud and the rain with the tears and the pain was for.

Back when Cork beat Laois 10-20 to 1-13 in June of 2011, the knives were out in the O’Moore County. Manager Brendan Fennelly fell on his and now, as was the case then, not every hurler in the county is with the county team.

Mullaney was resident goalkeeper for Laois last year and had the unfortunate task of picking the sliotar out of his net more times than he cares to remember.

He has been switched to the defence this season but will not play against Dublin on Saturday afternoon because of a hand injury. The Castletown man played through the pain after picking up the knock in a league game against Antrim in March — it’s a cruel reminder of how it’s all about championship.

The bookies wouldn’t seem to care if Mullaney is present or not because the O’Moore men are massive 8/1 outsiders. It’s an attractive bet because there has never been much in it when the sides have crossed sticks, as Mullaney knows.

“Not really, no,” he says when asked about it. “The last couple of years Dublin have a stepped it up a gear, a huge gear.

“I was actually talking earlier about how in 2005 we actually beat Dublin and then ran them very close in Nowlan Park in 2006. Over the last couple of years they have come on a long, long way and it’s down to coaching in the county and development.

“Hopefully, Laois can step up this Saturday; they’re not going to shy back from it anyway. Hopefully we’ll be there or thereabouts.”

Dublin won’t be shying back either — they have built a reputation on their physicality. If you are planning to beat Dublin, you better know how to run through brick walls. Or so is the general consensus, but perhaps not to Mullaney.

“I dunno if physically they’re fitter, faster or stronger than any other county in the country really at the minute,” he says. “They just look good because of where they are coming from. They’ve really stepped it up a gear.

Paddy Mullaney formerly played in goal for Laois ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

“Now they are class — I won’t take that away from them, they’re very, very good — but we had a good win against them earlier in the year. I know it was a wet, mucky day down in O’Moore Park in the Walsh Cup but that was a boost for Laois as well. And it was a boost for Teddy (McCarthy) as well to get a win against them.”

So much of the talk has been about Anthony Daly’s men, but what about McCarthy’s? Laois have beaten Carlow already this season and McCarthy had spoken this week about how that has gotten rid of some nerves.

“Training is good over the last couple of weeks and the boys got a great lift against Carlow,” Mullaney says. “Any win at all in championship will rise the team.”

“It was tough on the boys going into it. Because when you look at it, Carlow were after beating Laois twice going into that game. They’re after coming up from Division 2A into 1B and we’re actually after going back down. So Carlow had the edge on us. So going into it we were very, very lucky and we came through on the day.”

Mullaney has been there through thick and thin and while his side were not far from making an All-Ireland quarter-final in 2009, that seems a world away now.

“It’s going to be hard in the weaker counties. Not too many people are going to look past Kilkenny, Tipp, and Cork are going well this year.

“You know yourself, everybody wants to hurl for their county and it’s the same in Laois. Unfortunately we’ve had one or two that don’t want to but the lads that are there will always give 100%.

Willie Hyland might already be tipped for an All-Star in 2012 had his 13-point blitz of the Barrowsiders been for a more celebrated county side. Even more remarkable was that he hit five of his side’s first six points.

“Yeah Willie was excellent against Carlow and he really showed what he can do. He’s a very, very good marksman.

“Hopefully that’ll take a little bit of pressure off the younger guys. We have Stephen Maher there, he’s an excellent player. Hopefully it’ll take a little pressure off him and he can shine through Saturday.”

Laois didn’t concede a goal when they beat Carlow 0-20 to 0-13 a fortnight ago but Mullaney needn’t worry about it too much this time.

Eoin Reilly stands under the crossbar this time and, after scoring a point himself against Carlow, he’ll be hoping for a perfect rather than a miserable ten in 2012.

Paddy Mullaney was at Croke Park for the launch of the Etihad Skyline.

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