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Tailteann Cup – Laois v Offaly
In Newbridge at 6pm (Saturday)
Laois’s top scorer Mark Barry looks set to miss out on Saturday’s Tailteann Cup clash with Offaly in Newbridge.
The O’Dempsey’s clubman picked up a hamstring injury in the opening round win over Waterford two weeks and was replaced at half time. Though he was named to start against Wicklow seven days later, he was withdrawn from the matchday 26-man squad and didn’t feature.
And the Laois team that has been named for tomorrow’s game doesn’t include him anywhere.
Laois are fancied to advance to the knockout stages regardless of whether they win or not against Offaly, such is their current scoring difference so perhaps there’s hope that Barry will be available for a knockout fixture in the coming weeks.
There is a return to the starting team for Padraig Kirwan from Emo, who didn’t start either of the Tailteann Cup games due to injury, though he did come on in the second half of the defeat in Wicklow.
Kirwan, who has been hugely impressive for Laois all year and a regular scorer from wing-back, has been named at wing-forward in place of Shaun Fitzpatrick.
That is the only change from the side that started against Wicklow, with Fitzpatrick, who has endured a hugely challenging year with injury and illness, dropping out of the matchday squad altogether.
The changes on the bench see Jake Darcy (Annanough), Jamie Conway (Arles-Kilcruise) and Danny O’Reilly (Graiguecullen) come into the 26. O’Dempsey’s Fionn Holland and Cian Ryle from Kilcavan, as well as Shaun Fitzpatrick, are the ones to drop out.
Laois are 23/10 outsiders while Offaly are 4/9 and the draw is 17/2. A win or draw would guarantee progression for Laois and a win would give them a chance to top the group and secure a home quarter-final.
Should Laois lose, then they are likely to finish in third place in the group. From the four Tailteann Cup groups, only the three best third-placed teams will advance to preliminary quarter-finals.
The likelihood is that three or more teams will finish on two points and scoring difference will be required to decide the knockout places.
As it stands, Laois are +4, which is behind Fermanagh (+19) but well ahead of Tipperary (-19), London (-20), Antrim (-24) and Leitrim (-29).
Laois would need to suffer a big defeat to Offaly and then for big margins of defeat in both of the Tipperary v Leitrim and Antrim v London games to miss out.
The Laois team in full is: Killian Roche; Ben Dempsey, Trevor Collins, Liam Knowles; Paddy O’Sullivan, Seamus Lacey, Aaron McEvoy; Damon Larkin, Conor Heffernan; Padraig Kirwan, Ronan Coffey, Kevin Swayne; Brian Byrne, Cathal Lee, Niall Corbet. Subs: Aaron Cooney, Ryan Brady, Jamie Conway, Jake Darcy, Michael Doran, Josh Hogan, Jonah Kelly, Jack Lennon, Sean O’Neill, Danny O’Reilly
Coverage of Laois GAA county teams is brought to you in association with Laois Hire, proud sponsors of Laois GAA
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