Laois boss McNulty bids to lure Kingston back

Laois boss Justin McNulty is making continued behind the scenes attempts to lure Donie Kingston back onto the county football panel.

The Arles-Killeen player, one of the most talented teenagers in Gaelic football several years ago, is understood to have grown disillusioned with a lack of first team action and departed the panel last Monday week.

The development came on the eve of the team’s training camp at Fota Island in Cork which took place from Tuesday to Saturday of last week.

McNulty was unavailable for comment yesterday.

However, it’s understood attempts have been ongoing since last week to coax Kingston back onto the panel ahead of this weekend’s final round of Allianz League Division 2 games.

Laois travel to face Wexford and while McNulty has already publicly admitted the Championship is their priority now, there is still an outside chance of them finishing in the top two in the division and gaining both promotion and a Division 2 final place.

Kingston came off the bench as the first substitute in their last game against Longford, kicking an important point in a 0-9 to 0-6 win.

If he cannot be persuaded to return to the set-up it will be the second Championship campaign in succession he will have missed after withdrawing last year to travel.

As for McNulty, it would be the second high-profile player he has lost in a matter of weeks following Cahir Healy’s decision to end a dual role and commit solely to the hurlers.

McNulty was at least complimentary of Healy, whom he accepted was following his preferred code.

Meanwhile, Tom Cunniffe and Donal Vaughan are doubts for Mayo’s visit to Cork on Sunday.

The two players vying for the centre-back spot have not recovered from injuries which will force James Horan into selecting a debutant number six for the potential relegation decider.

Barry Moran, Keith Higgins and Cathal Freeman already joined Andy Moran and Alan Dillon on the injury list while Jason Doherty is a doubt.

Full-back Ger Cafferkey did not feature for his club at the weekend following as he was getting his nose realigned but is expected to line out.