Laois gained the expected upper hand in this local derby against Carlow to set up another battle for domestic bragging rights against Kildare in the Leinster quarter-final.

Airtricity Premier Division: Dundalk 5 Bray Wanderers 1

In accepting the SSE Airtricity/SWAI player of the month award for May yesterday, Daryl Horgan now wants to crown Dundalk’s season with the title.

Stephen Kenny wants his Dundalk players to maintain their desire to help sustain their impressive start to the season.

Richie Towell scored a hat-trick as Dundalk got back to winning ways to beat Derry City 3-0 at Oriel Park and regain second place in the Premier Division table and confirm their qualification for Europe.

Limerick maintained their unbeaten start to the Allianz Football League Division 4 campaign following a two-point win over Waterford, while Tipperary, Leitrim and Clare also recorded victories.

Meath 2-21 Carlow 0-09

Stephen Bray will return from injury to lead the Meath attack in Sunday's Leinster SFC quarter-final against Carlow at O'Connor Park (throw-in 2pm).

Brian Murphy and JJ Smith fired second-half goals as Carlow made hard work of a poor London side at Ruislip.

It was freezing in Belfield last night and this Sigerson Cup first-round match did little to raise the mercury.

Carlow manager Luke Dempsey has made one enforced change to his team for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC second round qualifier against Antrim.

THEY provided one of the most uplifting tales of the summer in Portlaoise a fortnight ago but there was no repeat of that romance for the Carlow footballers in Croke Park yesterday.

EUROPEAN rugby player of the year Sean O’Brien will be Carlow’s secret weapon when they take on Wexford at Croke Park on Sunday.

UNLIKE Mickey Moran after Leitrim’s shock defeat of Sligo in the first round of the Connacht championship, nobody in Carlow is having a go at the pundits for not tipping them to beat Louth.

FEARS Brendan Murphy could miss Carlow’s Leinster championship clash with Louth have receded after the midfielder took a full part in training on Thursday.

Carlow will field a team that includes three Championship debutants when they take on Louth in Sunday's Leinster SFC quarter-final in Portlaoise (throw-in 3.30pm).

CARLOW manager Luke Dempsey has handed out five championship debuts for next Sunday’s Leinster SFC quarter-final against Louth.

Some of the most promising footballers and hurlers in the country will be honoured at the Ulster Bank Rising Stars awards ceremony at the bank's headquarters in Dublin tonight.

Beaten league finalists UCC dethroned reigning Sigerson champions DCU this afternoon, while competition hosts UCD also progressed through to tomorrow's semi-finals.

Turkey U21 1 Republic of Ireland U21 0

Two more Airtricity League players have been drafted into the Republic of Ireland Under-21 squad ahead of tomorrow’s UEFA European Championship qualifier against Turkey.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21s depart for Switzerland today, with four changes to the squad originally announced for the double-header UEFA European Championship qualifying matches against Switzerland and Turkey.

Carlow manager Luke Dempsey has handed five players their first Championship starts, while Thomas Walsh returns to the line-up for this Sunday's Leinster SFC opener against Wicklow at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

CORK dual star Eoin Cadogan could discover this week if he will be fit for the county’s senior championship openers in football and hurling.

Republic of Ireland 1 Armenia 2

Striker Terry Dixon has been named in the Republic of Ireland U21 squad to take on Armenia in the Tallaght Stadium on March 3.

A DEPLETED Republic of Ireland U21 side were no match for a rampant Armenia in Yerevan yesterday.

Republic of Ireland Under-21 manager Don Givens today named an 18-man squad for next month’s double-header UEFA Under-21 European Championship qualifying matches away to Georgia and Armenia.

OWEN GARVAN played a captain’s role by popping up four minutes into injury-time to seal a precious point for the Irish under-21 team against Switzerland at the RSC last night.

Republic of Ireland Under-21 1 Switzerland Under-21 1

Republic of Ireland Under-21 manager Don Givens today named his squad for the two UEFA Under-21 European Championship qualifying matches to take place in October.

Republic of Ireland U-21 manager Don Givens today named an 18-man squad for next month’s European Championship qualifier in Tallinn against Estonia on September 9 (kick off: 3pm Irish time).

CARLOW have known plenty of false dawns. It was a wonder Éire Óg could dominate the club scene in Leinster, agonisingly close to All-Ireland glory, and yet the county team would fail to function.

WESTMEATH secretary Pat Lynagh has revealed Denis Glennon’s return to inter-county training on Tuesday night came as a result of a couple of meetings between the player, manager, Tomás O Flatharta, and county board officials.

AS Don Givens pointed out afterwards, the scoreboard reads badly but even so, he will be wondering this morning how Ireland did not manage to eke out a point from an entertaining opening salvo in Group Two of the European Championship qualifying campaign.

Republic of Ireland Under-21 0 Turkey Under-21 3

Republic of Ireland Under-21 manager Don Givens today named his starting XI for tomorrow’s European Championships qualifying match against Turkey, which will take place at Turner’s Cross (kick-off 7.45pm).

Rep of Ireland U-21 2 Spain U-21 1

Republic of Ireland Under-21s 2 Spain Under-21s 1

Eddie Nolan will captain the Republic of Ireland U21 side in his native Waterford tonight.

Republic of Ireland Under-21 manager Don Givens has announced an 18-man squad for this month’s matches against Spain and Turkey.

LEEDS UNITED have endured many low points in their recent history but none, perhaps, as humiliating as yesterday, when they were bundled out of the FA Cup second round by non-league Histon, a team that was playing in front of double-figure crowds just 10 years ago.

Owen Garvan produced a man-of-the-match performance to score twice for the Republic of Ireland U-21s to earn a draw against Portugal in Madeira.

Bulgaria 2 Republic of Ireland 0