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Laois And Westmeath Ready For Leinster Minor Championship Challenges

Friday, 25 June 2021 17:16

Laois have named their team with Westmeath set to do so this evening.

The 2020 Leinster Minor Football Championship will be decided next Wednesday but this years edition begins tomorrow. 

Westmeath and Laois both have home advantage in the opening round against Louth and Wexford respectively. 

Mark Bates named his team late on Thursday and there's plenty of change from the team that lined out in their last fixture in December. 

Just two faces remain in the form of captain Darragh Slevin and Kieran O'Donnell while another, Jack Byrne was absent for that game but did play minor football last year. 

It means twelve players in the starting team will be making their debuts on the level as well as the entirety  of the bench.

There's no backdoor in the competition so it's a win and you're in scenario. 

Here's the Laois starting xv:

Conor Brown (Portlaoise); Ryan Quinlan (Spink), Killian Byrne (Ballyroan-Abbey), Ciaran Culleton (Ballyfin); Darragh Slevin (Portarlington), Jack Byrne (Graiguecullen), Aaron Dorgan (Graiguecullen); Sean Brennan (St Joseph’s), Aodhan Lowry (Arles-Kilcruise); Davy Costello (Emo), Kieran O’Donnell (Portlaoise), Cormac Murphy (St Joseph’s); Darren Mullhall (Ballyroan-Abbey), Cathal Lee (Clonaslee), Jesse Mc Evoy (Ballylinan)

Replacements:

Oisin Ramsbttom (Timahoe), Joshua Deveraux (Barrowhouse), Conor Harte (Graiguecullen), Conor Fitzpatrick (Timahoe), John O’Shea (Graiguecullen), Daniel McGrath (Killeshin), Patrick Whelan (Ballyroan-Abbey), Cale Brennan (St Joseph’s), Fergus Langton (Barrowhouse).

Throw-in is at 2pm on Saturday. 

The winner of Offaly and Meath will receive a bye to the semi-finals with the loser being inserted at the quarter-final stage.

Dublin have also been drawn with a bye to the second round. 

Westmeath welcome Louth to TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar looking to improve on last year's first round exit at the hands of neighbours Meath. 

Vinny Cox will name his team later this evening and will be counting on nine dual players to make an impact. 

Much like Laois it's a much changed panel this year with sixteen clubs represented in total. 

They've taken on Fermanagh and Leitrim in challenge matches in preparation for the championship but remain unsure of where they're at in comparison with their opposition. 

Throw in for that game is at 12 noon.

The panel in full is as follows: 

Johnny Martin (Athlone); Harry Stuart Trainor, Tadhg Baker (Caulry); David O'Reilly, Sean Conlon (Cill Óige); Senan O'Driscoll, Rian Holding, Josh Murtagh (The Downs); Jack Mulvihill (Garrycastle); Brian Cooney, Liam Daly (Coralstown/Kinnegad); Jack Duncan, Sean Dillon, Peter Ballesty (Millmore Gaels); Daragh Lowry, Tobby Conteh, Ronan Murray, Sam Fannin, Eoin Bracken (Moate All Whites); Shane Ormsby (Mullingar Shamrocks); Cian Molloy (Shandonagh); Ciaran Smyth, Tadhg Kenny (St Loman's Mullingar); David Maloney, Shane Corcoran (St Malachy's); Ben McDonnell (St Joseph's); Shane Keenan (Tang); Kevin Claffey, Joseph Martin, Robbie Byrne (Tubberclair); Cormac Monaghan, Peter Clarke (Tyrrellspass).

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