Shortall backs Laois rookies to make final

LAOIS selector Andy Shortall has backed their rookies to rise to the occasion in Sunday’s Leinster semi-final against Wexford.

Six players made their senior inter-county debuts against Wicklow in the quarter-final almost four weeks ago and that half-dozen are retained for the second successive game against a south-east outfit.

Explained Shortall: “They all acquitted themselves very well the last day, but you have to remember that, while it was their senior debuts, most of those lads had a huge amount of experience of playing minor and U21 Leinster and All-Ireland finals.

“These kinds of games don’t faze them. We knew their underage experiences would stand to them. Then you had Mick Nolan in goal. He had been on the panel for five or six years and we always knew what a fine goalkeeper he was.”

Laois’ underage exploits are well documented and, while their minor and U21 sides failed to impress this year, the county seniors should continue to benefit from the talent pool for a few years.

Shortall is more qualified than most to run the rule over the county’s up and coming talent having managed the minors to a Leinster title in 2005 and the team that takes to the field on Sunday will be almost unrecognisable from the Leinster-winning 15 of five years ago. Only four of that side have survived. The majority will be 25 or under. Six will have played U21 football as recently as 2006 while the bench has also seen its average age plummet in recent times. The transition has been most apparent in midfield.

With regular midfielders Pauric Clancy, Noel Garvan and Brendan Quigley sidelined through injury, Laois handed the task of taming Thomas Walsh and James Stafford to newcomers Kevin Meaney and John O’Loughlin. “The two lads did very well. Wicklow have two formidable midfielders of their own and they got much the better of Kildare in the previous round. We knew going into it that Kevin and John had a tough task but we had every confidence in them.”

Meaney and O’Loughlin will again anchor Laois hopes in the centre at the weekend, but Clancy may well feature as a replacement as he did at Dr Cullen Park, as he continues to shrug off the effects of an ankle injury.

“Pauric is coming along well,” reported Shortall.” We’re happy with how he is going, but he is obviously short of match fitness. He will be well able to do a job if we have to call on him on Sunday.”

Laois’s transition is just one of the reasons why the bookies are finding it almost impossible to separate the two teams this week, despite the fact that the midland county has contested four of the last five provincial deciders and Wexford have fallen at the last four semi-finals.

Another factor is the difficulty with which Laois eventually staggered past Wicklow. One of the most glaring weaknesses that game showcased was the side’s lack of scoring forwards, even if Michael Tierney’s early forced departure contributed something to that.

“We missed a lot of chances and we can’t afford to miss the same against Wexford. They have been knocking on the door for the last five years and they have an experienced bunch of players. We looked at the Meath game and what struck me most was how extremely efficient they were in their scoring. They hit 2-14 and they only had two or three wides. It was an unbelievable strike rate. We’re very aware of their capabilities.”