Coverage of Laois GAA county teams is brought to you in association with Laois Hire, proud sponsors of Laois GAA
NFL Division 3 – Laois v Wexford
In Wexford Park at 6pm
After the drama of last week’s draw with Limerick, the Laois senior footballers head to Wexford Park this evening looking for a first win in the NFL Division 3 campaign.
In a division that is expected to be tight at both ends of the table, Wexford picked up a valuable win away to Fermanagh in Enniskillen last weekend, a fine result for a side promoted from Division 4 last season and favourites for relegation.
But they were fully deserving 1-13 to 0-12 winners and will bring a pep in their step to tonight’s contest.
Laois have a good record against Wexford, comfortably winning last season’s Leinster championship clash – 2-21 to 2-11 – as well as their last league meeting, two years ago, in Division 4, 1-19 to 0-12. They also won their two meetings in 2023 in both league and championship.
The Laois team shows one change from the side which started against Limerick last weekend with Niall Corbet, who scored the equaliser, coming in for Cian Nolan, who is out with a hand injury.
Nolan is out of the matchday 26 altogether with Courtwood’s Alan Kinsella promoted to the bench. Eoghan Slattery, who was elevated to the 26 last week after Jack Lacey started in place of the injured Jake Darcy, is included in the panel again while Sean O’Neill from The Rock is named instead of U-20 player Ben O’Connor.
Laois will feel that last week against Limerick was a point dropped more than a point gained such was their wastefulness in front of goals but reports from Wexford’s win over Fermanagh suggests they were something similar, though they did manage to pick up full points.
Sean Nolan kicked seven points for them while the ever-accurate Pauric Hughes got 0-4 from play and Gavin Sheehan got their goal.
Laois are the slightest favourites at 8/11 with Wexford at 7/3 and the draw at 8/1.
After this weekend, Laois have a two-week break before they host Sligo on Saturday, February 14.
The other Division 3 games down for decision this weekend are Limerick at home to Down, Sligo at home to Fermanagh and Clare at home to Westmeath.
LAOIS: Killian Roche; Ben Dempsey, Trevor Collins, Kevin Swayne; Paddy O’Sullivan, Brian Byrne, Jack Lacey; Rob Tyrell, Ciaran Burke; Rioghan Murphy, Evan O’Carroll, Conor Heffernan; Niall Corbet, Daragh Galvin, Ronan Coffey. Subs: Matthew Byron, Darren Brennan, Mikie Dempsey, Colin Dunne, Paul Kingston, Alan Kinsella, Cathal Lee, Alex Mohan, Sean O’Neill, Eoghan Slattery, Cian Ryle
Coverage of Laois GAA county teams is brought to you in association with Laois Hire, proud sponsors of Laois GAA
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