Home Gaelic Football Club Football All on the line as Round 2 of the SFC and IFC...

All on the line as Round 2 of the SFC and IFC concludes today

Portlaoise v Emo 
Laois SFC Round 2 in O’Moore Park at 2.45pm 

The chance to become the third team through to the SFC quarter finals is up for grabs in O’Moore Park this afternoon.

Portlaoise put up a huge score against Ballylinan as they breezed through Round 1.

While Emo scored four goals in their high scoring victory against Clonaslee-St Manman’s.

Emo have scored 21 goals in their last eight championships matches and with Portlaoise playing this new, open style under Aidan Fennelly – it will be interesting to see what happens.

Hopefully we get a high scoring affair and Portlaoise will be favourites to advance.

Graiguecullen v Portarlington 
Laois SFC Round 2 in O’Moore Park at 4.30pm

Perhaps the toughest game to call of all of these Round 2 encounters comes next in O’Moore Park.

Graiguecullen defeated county champions St Joseph’s in Round 1 with two late points.

That was low scoring with Portarlington’s win over O’Dempsey’s being the exact opposite.

Portarlington are sweating over the fitness of Darragh Slevin on top of all the other players they are certainly without.

When the sides met in the 2020 final, Graigue were blown away but this will be a very different contest.

O’Dempsey’s v The Heath 
Laois SFC Round 2 Qualifier in Ratheniska at 7pm

The curtain will come down on the Round 2 action in the SFC in Ratheniska this evening.

Unlike in the first two games, it will be the end of the line for whoever loses this one.

O’Dempsey’s were beaten by Portarlington as their dramatic comeback just came short.

It is believed that Fionn Holland may be away for this game but Matthew Finlay is due to be back.

The Heath had a great first half against Ballyroan-Abbey in Round 1 but could not sustain that.

They struggled for scores and that may well be the difference between the sides here too.

Ballyroan-Abbey v Timahoe 
Laois IFC Round 2 Qualifier in Stradbally at 7pm

The Laois IFC Round 2 action will conclude this evening as Timahoe and Ballyroan-Abbey meet in Stradbally.

These met in Round 1 last year with Ballyroan-Abbey winning and were to meet in the IFC ‘B’ final after but that was conceded by Ballyroan-Abbey.

Ballyroan-Abbey have lost seven players to their senior team over the first two rounds and only had 18 players available in their Round 1 loss to Park-Ratheniska.

Timahoe played Arles-Kilcruise in a monsoon in Crettyard but were well beaten.

This one is tough to call but perhaps Timahoe can prevail and advance to the quarter finals.

Whoever wins this game will face Annanough with the loser heading to ‘B’ semi finals.

SEE ALSO – Weekend Read: Making the case for enhanced sporting facilities in Portlaoise