Good afternoon and welcome – to the first LaoisToday Live Blog of 2020!
The Laois hurlers are in Borris-in-Ossory this afternoon as they take on Westmeath in their second game of the pre-season Walsh Cup.
Laois opened their campaign with a win over Carlow before Christmas and another win here would keep them on course for a semi-final spot.
Indeed it could be the start of a busy week for Eddie Brennan’s side.
Laois travel to Parnell Park on Thursday night to take on Dublin in their re-arranged fixture with the winners of that tie likely to be in semi-final action next Sunday against Galway.
Today’s game is a repeat of last season’s Joe McDonagh Cup final which Laois won 3-26 to 1-21 in Croke Park.
On another note, it is the first time since January 1994 that Laois will play a competitive game in Borris-in-Ossory. On that occasion Offaly were the visitors and the victors in the Walsh Cup quarter-final.
The starting Laois team this afternoon is: Paul Simms (Ballinakill); Liam Senior (Clonaslee), Frank Flanagan (Portlaoise), Donnacha Hartnett (Mountmellick); Jack Kelly (Rathdowney-Errill), Ryan Mullaney (Castletown), Ciaran McEvoy (Portlaoise); Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenallis), Ciaran Comerford (The Harps); Willie Dunphy (Clough-Ballacolla), Eoin Gaughan (Camross), James Ryan (Rathdowney-Errill); Aaron Bergin (Portlaoise), Cormac Rigney (Portlaoise), Joe Phelan (Castletown).
You can follow all of the action below.
SEE ALSO – Gary Walsh returns for Laois footballers in O’Byrne Cup loss to Meath