Offaly v Kerry, Thurles, 6.30pm

Saturday, April 13Allianz Hurling League Division1B Relegation/Promotion FinalOffaly v Kerry, Semple Stadium, Thurles, 6.30pm

Brian Whelahan and Eamonn Kelly had probably penciled challenge games into their schedules for this weekend. At the start of the campaign, you can be sure that neither manager expected to be contesting a play-off to see who plays in Division IB of the Allianz Hurling League in 2015.

These are difficult times for Offaly hurling. They finished second from bottom in Division IB and then lost to Antrim by 1-18 to 1-14 a week later in a play-off. A year ago, that would have meant relegation, but now they have the lifeline of a meeting with the Division IIA champions Kerry to save their skins. Lose on Saturday night and the Faithful County face the almost unfathomable prospect of playing in the third tier of the league next year and serious embarrassment against a supposed minnow of the game.

Whelahan badly needs something positive ahead of Offaly's Leinster Championship opener against Kilkenny on June 7. While a win against Kerry won't exactly set hearts racing, anything will do at this stage following a very bleak spring.

"It is going to be a job for us and anything other than our full concentration won't do," said Whelahan this week. "Everyone feels that not only have they let themselves down but the county as a whole and you don't want to take away from Antrim's win but that is the feeling in our camp from an Offaly point of view.

"No one has been more disappointed than the squad and everyone involved in Offaly hurling. Trying to pick the lads up the last week has been tough. When you suffer a defeat in the manner which we did in Ballycastle, it is very hard to get refocused. That is what last week has been about."

Kerry are in an altogether different position. For the Kingdom, this really is bonus territory. Having topped Division IIA with five straight wins, they then met Carlow in the third tier final last Sunday in Thurles and emerged as 3-16 to 3-13 winners in a thrilling game. Eamonn Kelly's charges were six points down at the break but battled back with the help of three second half goals to secure a place in Saturday's play-off.

"It's something we haven't really thought about before and now we just have to treat it like another game and go for it, tooth and nail. League promotion wasn't our priority, what we really wanted is to do well in the Christy Ring and get back into the Liam MacCarthy and that is still our main target," Kelly said this week.

"Obviously Offaly are a serious hurling county and this will be another step up for us, but it's another game in Thurles, where the lads love playing, and we will be giving it everything."

Promotion to the second tier would be a remarkable achievement for Kerry. The Kingdom open their Christy Ring Cup campaign against Derry on Saturday, May 3.

Offaly: Conor Slevin, Niall Wynne, Ger Healion, James Rigney, Cathal Parlon, Colin Egan, Barry Harding, Kevin Connolly, Ciarán Slevin, Joe Bergin Capt, Dan Currams, Conor Mahon, Brian Carroll, Sean Cleary, Stephen Quirke.

Kerry: TBC