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LEINSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL LAOIS v WEXFORD Croke Park, 2.00 Referee M Sludden (Tyrone) You'd worry about whichever side loses out today. After several years of trying to make a breakthrough, both counties have to reach a higher place this season. For this Laois bunch to be deemed a success they must win another Leinster title and perhaps even go on to reach an All Ireland semi-final. Harsh, perhaps, for a side that won the county's first provincial title in 57 years in 2003 but such is the perceived talent the bar has been raised and Liam Kearns must kick on after the O'Dwyer era. As for Wexford, they have never kicked on from Pat Roe and their league final appearance. They've yet to reach a Leinster final in recent times either and this may be their best chance to get there and run Dublin close.
Especially given the opposition injury list. Not only are Laois missing full-back Aidan Fennelly, midfielder Noel Garvan as well as Barry Brennan and Gary Kavanagh, they have also been forced to reshuffle throughout. But even so, they'll be looking past this one. For bigger things to happen, Tom Kelly needs to return to his best.
P�draig Clancy needs to find a consistent partner with Brendan Quigley needing to be a biggame player. And then there's Donie Brennan. Once called the boy wonder, it's time he stepped up and helped Beano McDonald and Ross Munnelly (right) in the scoring stakes while aiding Chris Conway with ball-carrying.
For them to win today, only some of those will have to come true. To win Leinster, they'll have to make them all happen.
As for Wexford, for 30 minutes the last day they seemed to discover an aide for Matty Forde. However Ciaran Lyng and Adrian Flynn can't afford to disappear for a half today. Both these sides have let down in the past and one will again today. Having looked vulnerable to quick, fast ball in their defeat of Louth, we think it will be Wexford. As for Laois, they'll need to spend the coming weeks getting back a long list of names and hoping to dethrone Dublin.
Verdict Laois by five points LAOIS F Byron; C Ryan, T Kelly, J Higgins; P McMahon, D Rooney, B McCormack; P Clancy, B Quigley; R Munnelly, C Conway, MJ Tierney;
D Brennan, P Lawlor, B McDonald WEXFORD J Cooper; C Morris, P Wallace, B Malone; A Morrissey, D Murphy, N Murphy; R Stafford, E Bradley; C Deely, R Barry, A Flynn; C Lyng, P Colfer, M Forde
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YOU ARE HERE: 11 November 2007 / tribune.ie / 2007 / 06 / 31
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