Injuries, league form and predictions. 2020 Laois Senior football semi final action this weekend.

Finally, the Laois senior football championship semi finals from 2020 will take place this weekend with a place in the coveted final up for grabs.

With the final already set for Sunday week, it promises to be a hectic couple of weeks of action as the Covid-19 affected championship finally gets its turn to get boxed off.

Graiguecullen and Emo will kick off the action on Friday night in O'Moore Park with a 7.45pm throw in while the following evening, Portarlington and Ballyfin will lock horns, once again in O'Moore Park but with a 7pm throw in.

Semi finals are hard call at the best of times but with no championship form to go off, both semi finals are a bit of the unknown when it comes to picking a winner.

There has been a league in the lead up to the games this weekend but league form can carry a health warning at times. Furthermore, the form the four teams showed last year to get to this stage also goes out the window given that it was so long ago at this stage.

Graiguecullen v Emo – Friday August 6 – O'Moore Park 7.45pm.

A seriously tight game to call. Graiguecullen got to the semi finals of the senior football league recently before been convingingly defeated by Portlaoise but that performance wasn't what we come to expect from them. Rather than a team of individual stars, they are a well balanced outfit throughout.

Mark Timmons is still one of the best full backs around while Trevor Collins was also on the Laois panel and is extremely versatile and could lineout anywhere from number two to number 9.

They had a good win over Ballylinan in the league before that semi final defeat and they have also had the advantage of playing their leagues game at a level higher than their opponents, Emo.

Emo were one of the stories of 2020. There no nonsense and refreshing brand of football has seen them carry their 2020 form into this year's league.

Playing in Division 1B, they have put up some massive scores namely 8-17 against Portlaoise' second team and 4-15 in their victory over Rosenallis. It must be noted that they haven't been playing the standards of teams in the 1A league but nonethless, it is impressive shooting.

Darren Strong is still a vital cog in the wheel out around the middle third while Finbarr Crowley has the potential be a game changer for the Emo men when fully fit.

Up front, the veteran Paul Lawlor and Jack Owens will be looking to carry on their 2020 form and make some hay against a well organsied Graiguecullen rearguard.

Verdict: Emo

Portarlington v Ballyfin – Saturday August 7 – O'Moore Park 7pm

Portarlington have been the most impressive team in the league so far this year and are through to play Portlaoise in the final in the next few weeks but they do have their injury worries with Jake Foster, Alex Mohan, Paddy O'Sullivan and Rioghan Murphy all forced off with injury in their league semi final win over St Joseph's two weeks ago.

Colm and David Murphy will be their key men up front and if they are at full strength or very close to it, they look to be the team to beat.

Ballyfin are a fine side also and are well balanced. Sean Moore is one of the top forwards in the County while the addition of Offaly man Aidan Keenaghan has been crucial for them. James Finn still continues to put in the hard yards in the middle of the field while Laois U20 dual star Allan Connolly will be hoping to lead by example in the back line.
Ballyfin's absence from the top division in the league is far from ideal but they have the footballers to beat anyone on their day.

Verdict: Portarlington

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