McNulty makes two changes for Sunday’s Leinster quarter-final
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LAOIS manager Justin McNulty has announced his team for Sunday’s Leinster quarter-final against Kildare. There are two changes in personnel and two positional changes from the side that beat that Offaly last weekend.
Emo’s Pa Kirwan and Ballyroan Abbey’s Aaron McEvoy are named at wing-back and centre-back respectively.
Their introduction sees Paddy O'Sullivan replace his clubmate Rioghan Murphy at wing-forward while captain is named at corner-forward in place of Ciaran Burke.
McNulty looks to be trying to add more of a bite to his forwards. After the Offaly win he said: “We were misfiring in various parts of our performance.”
He stated he wasn’t best pleased with his side’s performance that evening and that Kildare would not be quaking in their boots.
He will also be looking for more consistency, which has not been in evidence this year. Three wins, three defeats and one draw this year’s league speaks for itself.
2003 is a year that both counties will recall with differing emotions, but that year’s Leinster final Kildare have held the upper hand in this local rivalry.
The sides have met 17 times since then in both League and Championship. Of those 17 games Kildare have won 10, Laois three and with four games drawn.
However, Laois will be looking to there most recent championship meeting, 2024 Tailteann Cup quarter-final when they won by 2-11 to 0-12.
But then again, the Lilywhites will going all out to revenge that defeat, and on home ground will hold the edge.
Cedral St Conleth’s Park, 3.45pm.
Kildare 1/2 Laois 9/4 Draw 15/2.
Killian Roche (Killeshin);
Jack Lacey (St Joseph's), Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen), Alex Mohan (Portarlington); Pa Kirwan (Emo), Aaron McEvoy (Ballyroan Abbey), Simon Fingleton (Park Ratheniska); Ciaran Burke (Crettyard), Conor Heffernan (Killeshin); Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise), Ronan Coffey (Portarlington), Paddy O'Sullivan (Portarlington); Brian Byrne (Captain) (Graiguecullen), Daragh Galvin (Portarlington), Evan O'Carroll (Crettyard).
Subs:
Matthew Byron (Courtwood), Darren Brennan (Portlaoise), Killian Byrne (Ballyroan Abbey), Niall Corbett (Clonaslee/St Manman’s), Ben Dempsey (Portlaoise), Mikie Dempsey (St Joseph’s), Paul Kingston (Arles Killeen), Rioghan Murphy (Portarlington, Cian Nolan (Park/Ratheniska), Robert Tyrrell (Courtwood).
