IT MAY not conjure up visions of the traditional Old Firms Derby which historically has been reserved for collisions between Carlow and Laois, but any joust with Wicklow is the closest thing to the original, and for that reason alone the meeting of Carlow and Wicklow in Aughrim on Sunday in the NFL will attract more than just passing interest.

Doubtless Micko and company will be smarting from the spanking the Garden received in Dr. Cullen Park in the O'Byrne Shield and sure, can't they recall that walloping in the championship in Wexford Park four years back, not to mention their unexpected (from their viewpoint that is) in the league last season?

Wicklow don't rest easy with their neighbours and somehow Carlow seem to generate an additional head of steam when entertaining their cross-border rivals; and this time they don't have Carlow assistance either in the person of the then-influential Thomas Walsh who has opted for rugby to escape Gaelic controversy.

Form this season is little indication of a Sunday outcome; Carlow wavering from the high against Longford to a low when caught by Waterford in their last league outing and at this stage their promotional aspirations seem shot so there is little to focus upon save the championship, and for that reason Sunday's performance will be important from the morale and improvement-gauging points of view.

Both counties suffer from lack of depth and this was never more obvious as when Carlow's second string struggled with Wexford in the O'Byrne Shield final on Sunday last and the visitors only seen off when first-fifteeners were introduced in the shape of Kieran Nolan, Simon Rea and Willie Minchin with Alan Curran and Tony Bolger also lifting the home challenge.

The visiting team may be somewhat compromised in that their 'new-kid-on-the-block' Brendan Murphy, Daniel St. Leger and Shane Redmond will have played an under 21 championship game against Offaly the previous day and their contribution would be influenced by either the psychical effort or possibly the result if it does not go Carlow's way.

But the black and white of results can be deceptive and not always be interpreted by an unsympathetic public who don't see it from stats-man John Behan's point of view; he who often measures a ' defeat' in improvement terms.

Carlow's strength in latter years has not been at midfield yet John recalled Carlow breaking four points down against Limerick and winning the winner's first three kicksout, "and that up against a quality midfield."

Merely from the stats point of view John is positive about the Wicklow examination, simply because of the Carlow determination which won them the second half and the game against Wexford on Sunday; noting that Wexford won six marks in the opening half and not one after that.

Manager Luke Dempsey was pleased in that he is getting to the position where he has at least two players competing for one position on the team. "We have players playing well in positions in which they are not accustomed, or not getting too many games and had a point to prove," noting the form of John Doyle and Johnny Kavanagh and the impact of Ken Doyle when moved to full-forward.

Luke took the flak for a poor Carlow opening half in that he opted for players who had not got much game-time.

"The major factor in Carlow football is confidence," he said, pointing to that movement of ball from defence to attack in the second half, and he feels that only with wins will they build that element of their game and ne he feels will repeat recent wins over the Garden County in Aughrim on Saturday.