Compiled by SEÁN MORANand GAVIN CUMMISKEY
TODAY
Leinster SHC quarter-finals
Dublin v Laois, O’Connor Park, Tullamore, 5pm – It is finally coming together for Anthony Daly’s Dublin.
Martin Quilty is a loss, as is Ross O’Carroll but it is the returning players that makes this fairly routine outing for Dublin way more interesting.
Peter Kelly retains the full back role despite the return of Tomás Brady, who is listed at corner back. Either way, with Niall Corcoran in the other corner there is genuine steel across Dublin’s last line now.
Same can be said of the all important half backs where Stephen Hiney finally returns after a marathon rehabilitation of a badly damaged knee ligament.
In the half forwards Conal Keaney will be seeking to regain his magical touch alongside Liam Rushe, who is due a massive year as he reaches full maturity, and the non-stop running of Danny Sutcliffe.
David Treacy, free of a string of hamstring issues, starts at corner forward while Dotsy O’Callaghan is on the bench. With Ryan O’Dwyer still to return from suspension, Daly finally looks to be assembling close to a full-strength squad.
First job is to banish the memory of the collapse against Galway that saw them relegated to Division 1B. Teddy McCarthy’s injury- hampered Laois defeated Carlow but will hardly prevent Dublin securing a semi-final showdown with Kilkenny on June 23rd.
Referee: J Owens (Wexford).
Verdict: Dublin.
Offaly v Wexford, Tullamore, 7pm – There are reasons to believe Offaly’s long barren spell in this fixture might be about to end this evening but the question will be do they believe it themselves?
Cruising to victory in this year’s league, they bungled a nine-point lead in the closing minutes to lose, a result that probably cost them a place in the divisional final.
Three years ago, after getting promoted ahead of their opponents, they lost in the championship meeting by failing to meet the challenge quickly enough as they were chasing the match throughout.
Offaly have home advantage tonight after a number of matches in Nowlan Park and in ’09 in Wexford Park. Wexford show greater change since the last meeting and Liam Dunne bloods four newcomers. His bench looks formidable but the seated presence of Darren Stamp, Paul Roche and Harry Kehoe is more a function of their gradual recovery from injury than any fading relevance.
Amongst Dunne’s projects are the scoring forwards Jack Guiney and Paul Morris and the team also has Diarmuid Lyng back after a year away. Offaly however have an efficient defence anchored by Rory Hanniffy, an energetic and hard-working centrefield and enough quality supplementing Shane Dooley in attack to prevail this time .
Previously: Their last meeting in 2009 was a quarter-final clash at Wexford Park, where the home side prevailed on a 2-17 to 0-16 scoreline.
You bet: Offaly are favourites at 8-15, Wexford 15-8 and 9-1 the draw.
Just the ticket: Stand tickets (€25) and juveniles €5. Terrace (€15) and juveniles €3 (two per accompanying adult). €10 (stand) and €5 (terrace) refund for OAPs and students.
Crystal gazing: Offaly are more settled and can break their losing streak in this fixture.
Referee: J Sexton (Cork)
SUNDAY
Leinster SHC quarter-final
Galway v Westmeath, Cusack Park, Mullingar, 3.30pm – Joe Canning has been passed fit to start tomorrow, and Anthony Cunningham’s championship debut as Galway manager is almost certain to be a successful one.
Coached by Athenry’s Brian Hanley, Westmeath have some talented hurlers and will hope to be as competitive as they were in this fixture last year. But the Tribesmen showed glimpses of their desired standards in the ruthless destruction of an understrength Dublin in the Division 1A relegation play-off and must be taken to prevail.
Galway: F Flannery; N Donohue, K Hynes, F Moore; P Gordon, T Og Regan, J Coen; I Tannian, D Burke; A Smyth, N Burke, C Donnelan; D Hayes, J Canning, D Glennon
Westmeath: S McGovern; C Jordan, A Price, P Fennell; P Dowdall, A McGrath, P Greville; A Clarke, J Clarke; B Murtagh, F Boyle, R Greville; N O’Brien, J Shaw, E Price.
Referee: J Ryan (Tipperary).
Verdict: Galway
