Laois Senior 'B' Football Championship quarter-final previews and predictions

In previous editions of the Laois Shopping Centre SFC, the four teams who lost in Round 3 who have seen their championships come to end. However, Laois GAA have introduced a new Senior 'B' competition which sees the four teams who lost in the Losers Section of Round 2 face off against the losers of Round 3 in the quarter-finals.

The teams who lose in the Senior 'B' quarter-finals will drop down into the relegation semi-finals while the winners will move forward into the semi-finals. The teams who lost in Round 2; The Heath, Rosenallis, Park-Ratheniska and Ballyfin have all had five weeks off to try and make things right in order to preserve their Senior status for 2024, a win this weekend will ensure that. Ballyroan-Abbey, Stradbally, Arles-Killeen and Clonaslee St Manman's drop down into the 'B' Championship following defeat in Round 3. 

There's three games down for decision on Friday evening as Annanough, Portarlington and Portlaoise all play host to games. Arles-Killeen take on Ballyfin in Annanough with Portlaoise having beaten Arles-Killeen to put them into this position. Ballyfin come into this game having been beaten by Clonaslee St Manman's and Portarlington.

McCann Park will be the venue for the clash of The Heath and Clonaslee St Manman's with The Heath looking to maintain their senior status having been crowned Intermediate champions in 2022. They haven't had the best of campaigns to date as they lost out to Killeshin and Graiguecullen, who will clash themselves in a Senior quarter-final. Clonaslee St Manman's were beaten by Emo last time out and should have enough to get victory here.

The Centre of Excellence will host a local derby as Stradbally and Park-Ratheniska face off. In terms of local rivalries, they don't get any closer in geographical terms with 5kms separating the two places. Stradbally were faced with a mammoth task of facing the four-in-a-row chasing Portarlington in Round 3 while Park-Ratheniska have been beaten by Courtwood and Ballyroan-Abbey.

The final quarter-final sees Ballyroan-Abbey, who missed out on the Senior quarter-finals due to a last-minute goal from Courtwood's Sean O'Flynn, take on Rosenallis in Mountmellick. Ballyroan-Abbey have shown that they can compete at the Senior grade but ultimately they were unable to see out the games against St Joseph's and Courtwood. Rosenallis have failed to light up the championship having been well-beaten by Emo while Portlaoise never got out of second gear in their round 2 clash.

Tickets for all four games can be purchased here.

Full fixture details and predictions

Friday September 15

Clonaslee St Manman's v The Heath at 7pm in McCann Park  Prediction: Clonaslee 

Stradbally v Park-Ratheniska at 7pm in LOETB Centre of Excellence Prediction: Stradbally

Ballyfin v Arles-Killeen at 7pm in Annanough Prediction: Arles-Killeen

Saturday September 16

Ballyroan-Abbey v Rosenallis Prediction: Ballyroan-Abbey