Offaly face favourites Laois
Offaly go from favourites to underdogs today as they take on last year's Leinster runners-up, Laois, in the provincial quarter-final at Croke Park today.
The Faithful footballers were overwhelming favourites to triumph over Louth in their Leinster SFC opener, which they duly did by nine points.
However, they flattered to deceive that day and will be sorely tested against Mick O'Dwyer's side, the bookies' favourites for this year's Leinster championship.
The sides have met 26 times in the championship, with 11 wins each and four draws, including in 2003 when the sides finished level in Portlaoise before Laois won the replay in Tullamore en route to their first Leinster title since 1946.
Former Offaly star, and current manager Kevin Kilmurray has made two changes to the side that defeated Louth for today's clash.
Mark Daly comes into the attack for Damien Hunt at centre-forward, while Pascal Kellaghan is back at full-forward, having opted out during the league. Kellaghan replaces John Reynolds.
Kilmurray has also made positional switches, with Niall McNamee moving to top of the left, James Coughlan on the right and Colm Quinn on the right wing.
O'Dwyer has handed All-Ireland minor medallist Colm Begley is debut for today's clash, with the Stradbally man coming in at right half-back.
However, there is no place for attacker Brian 'Beano' McDonald. The Arles-Killeen forward broke his leg during the All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Tyrone last year, but has since recovered and returned to action in a recent challenge against Carlow.
In all, O'Dwyer makes six changes from the side that lost to the Red Hands.
Joe Higgins returns at corner-back, Begley is in at right half-back, Portlaoise's Ian Fitzgerald leads the attack, with Gary Kavanagh on his left, while former skipper Chris Conway and Donal Brennan are in the top corners.
The players to lose out are McDonald, Cathal Ryan, Paul McDonald, Paul Lawlor, Colm Parkinson, who opted out to travel to Australia and Shane Cooke, who has failed to recover from a shoulder injury.
Micko's men are widely fancied to make it two Leinster titles in three years, and having had time to recharge their batteries, must be fancied to advance to the semi-finals.
LAOIS (SFC v Offaly) F Byron; A Fennelly, D Rooney, J Higgins; C Begley, T Kelly, P McMahon; P Clancy, N Garvan; R Munnelly, I Fitzgerald, G Kavanagh; D Brennan, K Fitzpatrick, C Conway.
OFFALY (SFC v Laois): P Kelly; C Daly, C Evans, S Brady; B Mooney, S Sullivan, K Slattery; C McManus, A McNamee; C Quinn, M Daly, N Coughlan; J Coughlan, P Kellaghan, N McNamee.
