Dempsey: Self-belief the key

EVEN though he expressed disappointment his team hadn’t won, Seán Dempsey’s jovial disposition betrayed a sense of relief at still being involved in the Leinster championship.

They may have arrived in Croke Park with the intention of downing Meath but the truth is that they needed a type of grit not always associated with Laois to ensure another shot at the Royals.

Still though, the manager was keen to show his team’s lofty ambitions when discussing the near-catastrophic mistake by goalkeeper Mickey Nolan that presented Cormac McGuinness with that 86th minute goal.