Four debutants named in Laois football team to face Longford in League opener

Laois manager Justin McNulty, right, with selectors Ross Munnelly and Diarmuid Carroll during the Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup Round 1 match between Laois and Offaly. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

placeholder image — Laois manager Justin McNulty, right, with selectors Ross Munnelly and Diarmuid Carroll during the Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup Round 1 match between Laois and Offaly. Photo: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

The Laois senior football team to take on Longford in Saturday's National Football League opener has been named with four young players set to make their debuts.

The Laois footballers will get their Division 4 campaign up and running with a home opener under lights at Laois Hire O'Moore Park, welcoming the recently-crowned O'Byrne Cup champions to Portlaoise.

Justin McNulty, back for his second stint as Laois manager, has handed out League debuts to Portlaoise's Ben Dempsey, Killeshin's Conor Heffernan, Courtwood's Niall Dunne and Ballyroan Abbey's Shaun Fitzpatrick.

Fresh off the back of their O'Byrne Cup triumph over Dublin in Portlaoise, Longford will prove stern opposition. McNulty has looked to the experience of Graiguecullen's Mark Timmon holding the defence from centre-back while the newly-appointed captain Evan O'Caroll leads the charge at full-forward.

LAOIS: Killian Roche (Killeshin); Ben Dempsey (Portlaoise), Seamus Lacey (Ballylinan), James Kelly (St Josephs); Eoin Buggie (Stradbally), Mark Timmons (Graiguecullen), Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen); Conor Heffernan (Killeshin), Damon Larkin (Portlaoise); Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise), Niall Dunne (Courtwood), Shaun Fitzpatrick (Ballyroan); Mark Barry (O’Dempsey’s), Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard), Niall Corbet (Clonaslee St Manman’s).

Laois take on Longford on Saturday at 6pm in in Laois Hire O'Moore Park. Tickets for the game can be bought in the following stores; SuperValu Stradbally, Breslin's SuperValu Rathdowney, McConville's SuperValu Mountmellick, McLoughlin's SuperValu Portarlington, Mulhall’s SuperValu Portlaoise, SuperValu Abbeyleix and SuperValu Parkside Portlaoise as well as online.

The Leinster Express/ Laois Live will also be doing a live blog for those not able to attend.