It’s Kildare v Laois in the Leinster football championship, we preview the game and have team news and betting preview.
It has been a season of great contrast so far for this pair, with Kildare winning promotion to Division 1 and Laois dropping into Division 4.
Last Five Championship Clashes
2015: Kildare 3-18 Laois 1-11 (Leinster quarter-final) Replay
2015: Kildare 0-16 Laois 0-16 (Leinster quarter-final) Draw
2011: Kildare 3-16 Laois 0-10 (All-Ireland qualifiers)
2009: Kildare 2-18 Laois 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)
2005: Laois 0-21 Kildare 0-9 (Leinster semi-final)
*Laois already have an impressive win behind them in this year’s championship, beating Longford by 4-15 to 0-16 in the Leinster first round. The Kingston brothers Paul (2-1) and Donie (1-4) scored 3-5 between them.
*Kildare won promotion from Division 2 of the Allianz Football League this
year, finishing second to Galway, who also beat them in the final. Kildare won
five and lost three of their eight games.
*Laois were relegated from Division 3 after losing five and winning two of their
seven games.
*Cian O’Neill is in his second year as Kildare manager while Peter Creedon is
in his first season with Laois.
*Laois have scored only one goal against Kildare (Donie Kingston 2015 replay)
in their last five championship meetings.
*It’s 12 years since Laois, then managed by Mick O’Dwyer, last beat Kildare in
the championship. Laois won the 2005 semi-final by 0-21 to 0-9.
*The winners will play Meath or Louth in the Leinster semi-final on June 17.
DID YOU KNOW?
Laois have not reached the Leinster semi-final since 2009. The last year Kildare failed to reach the Leinster semi-final was 2010.
Team News
Kildare: Mark Donnellan; Mick O’Grady, David Hyland, Ollie Lyons; Johnny Byrne, Eoin Doyle, Keith Cribbin; Kevin Feely, Tommy Moolick; Fergal Conway, Niall Kelly, Paul Cribbin; David Slattery, Daniel Flynn, Cathal McNally.
Laois: Graham Brody; Darren Strong, Denis Booth, Stephen Attride; Eoin Buggie, Padraig McMahon, Damien O’Connor; Brendan Quigley, Colm Begley; Alan Farrell, John O’Loughlin, Niall Donoher; Evan O’Carroll, Donal Kingston, Paul Kingston.
Betting advice
One has to think that next season Kildare are in Division 1 and Laois is in Division 4, that the lilywhites should have no problem the -3 handicap.
