Laois can only improve against Meath after Longford Drubbing

By Tom Gannon
Published 6th Jan 2023, 17:22 BST
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O'Byrne Cup 2nd round Match Preview

There is only one direction Billy Sheehan's men can go in after Wednesday's lackluster performance and that's up. An experimental Laois side was made to look foolish by Longford, particularly in the first half.

Only one man, Kevin Swayne really stood up to Longford in that first half. Despite nothing going right for his side, Swayne's work ethic and drive in those first 35 minutes was commendable. 

As the game progressed into the second 35 minutes, more Laois players grew into the game. Lee Walker was probably the standout, The Graigue man was Laois's best-performing player on the night. Niall Corbet took his free's well when the opportunities arose. More below Photo placeholder image
As the game progressed into the second 35 minutes, more Laois players grew into the game. Lee Walker was probably the standout, The Graigue man was Laois's best-performing player on the night. Niall Corbet took his free's well when the opportunities arose. More below Photo 

Dylan Kavanagh and Sean Greene were the other two players that left their mark on the game. Outside of those few mentioned players, It's hard to take many positives away from Laois's opening O'Byrne cup tie. 

They now face Meath on Saturday and we can only assume changes will be plenty as Billy Sheehan will want to have a good feel for his squad depth before the league commences. 

Their opponents Meath started the O'Byrne cup with a hard-fought win over Carlow. Conducting a similar experiment to Sheehan, Meath's new gaffer Colm O Rourke deputised seven players in his first game at the helm.

O'Rourke has already put his own stamp on the Royal county, as reports suggest that several key players from the Andy McEntee era have been told their services are no longer required. Most notably, James McEntee, Shane Walsh, and Ethan Devine. 

So both teams are currently transitioning and building their best squad for 2023 so it's hard to know which way this game will go. There will certainly be huge home support for Meath, given it is O'Rourke's first home game. That and the confidence the Royals will have taken from the Carlow win slightly tips the scales in the Home team's favor. That being said, Billy Sheehan's men have a point to prove after the poor performance in Portarlington during the week. 

Possible Laois Line up

1. Scott Osborne 

2. Sean Greene

3. Seamus Lacey

4. Alex Mohan

5. Trevor Collins

6. Sean O'Flynn

7. Brian Byrne 

8. Damon Larkin

9. James Finn

10. Kevin Swayne

11. Lee Walker

12. Eoin Lowery

13. Paul Kingston 

14. Evan O'Carroll

15. Mark Barry 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Related topics:MeathLongfordLaoisCarlow
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