By Micil Glennon
While most of the attention this Sunday will be on high-profile Connacht and Ulster clashes, the Leinster Championship gets underway with the intriguing contest of Longford and Laois in Pearse Park.
The Larries come off the back of a very successful league campaign, which saw them promoted to Division 2, but are without a provincial scalp since a three-point win over Westmeath in 2007.
That rare win was followed by defeat to Sunday’s opponents. Since then they have been beaten by Westmeath, Wicklow, Louth and last year it was again the O’Moore County who ended their Leinster hopes with a narrow win.
Glenn Ryan’s men will avoid talk of revenge but that loss will put an extra pep in their step on Sunday, and for all the good work done in the Allianz League, defeat to Laois will feel like a missed opportunity.
Former Essendon player Michael Quinn, making his senior championship debut, will be central to the home side’s chances.
He said: “It’s been a long time since Longford have won the first round of the championship and there’s no better time, it’s a perfect opportunity for Longford to start taking a step further in Leinster.”
On the other side, Laois, relegated from the top flight last month, face a trip to Pearse Park knowing the home side have gone eight league games without defeat here over the last two seasons.
Justin McNulty’s men find themselves in the same division as Longford but at least have the advantage of a better championship record in recent years and, having seen the progress made under Ryan, will know what to expect.
The visitors give a championship debut to Gary Walsh at left corner-forward and will hope that the experience of Padraig Clancy, Colm Begley and Kevin Meaney can come to the fore.
Manager McNulty, winner of an All-Ireland medal with Armagh in 2002, was keen to talk up Longford, saying: “We’re under no illusions that we’re going into the lion’s den, Pearse Park has been a graveyard for some high-profile teams over the last few seasons…we realise that we’re up for a really tough challenge but we’re happy that we’ve done everything we could do this season and happy with the effort from our players.”
While Laois have the better recent championship record, the momentum is with the home side and that may just swing a tight affair.
Verdict: Longford
Longford: D Sheridan; D Brady, B Gilleran, D Reilly; CP Smith, M Quinn, S Mulligan; B McElvaney, J Keegan; D Barden, P Barden (capt.), N Mulligan; D McElligott, B Kavanagh, S McCormack.
Laois: D Culliton; C Healy, K Lillis, P O’Leary; D Strong, S Julian, C Boyle; J O’Loughlin, B Quigley; K Meaney, B Sheehan, C Begley; R Munnelly, P Clancy, G Walsh.
