Laois manager John Sugrue has made two changes to his team ahead of tomorrow's Midlands derby with Offaly in the All-Ireland Football qualifiers.
Sean O’Flynn and Damien O’Connor come into the side with Conor Boyle and Trevor Collins dropping to the bench.
Experienced centre-half-back Colm Begley remains out with an Achilles injury while regular full-back Mark Timmons has been sidelined since breaking his hand in their Leinster quarter-final win over Westmeath last month.
Laois won at Division Four champions Derry last weekend but Sugrue says they need to improve on that performance.
"We have come up against teams who are moving the ball faster. We were in Division 4 last year and found out what it is like when you take the step up. That is no disrespect to Derry, they have made good strides, but we will meet teams playing at a faster rate from earlier in the year and that is going to be a challenge."
Laois v Offaly: Graham Brody (Portlaoise); Stephen Attride (Killeshin), Denis Booth (The Heath), Gareth Dillon (Portlaoise); Sean O’Flynn (Courtwood), Robert Pigott (Portarlington), Patrick O’Sullivan (Portarlington); John O’Loughlin (St Brigid’s), Kieran Lillis (Portlaoise); Daniel O’Reilly (Griaguecullen), Donie Kingston (Arles-Killeen), Damien O’Connor (Timahoe); Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen), Colm Murphy (Portarlington), Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard).
Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
Offaly manager John Maughan has stuck with the same 15 that beat Sligo last weekend.
Having scored two goals against the Yeats' County, Niall McNamee is retained at full-forward with Kilmacud Crokes' Shane Horan operating at right-wing-forward.
The Faithful registered home wins against London and Sligo in the opening two rounds and Maughan is looking forward to locking horns with their local rivals at O'Moore Park tomorrow.
“Look, the draw was kind to us in the first two rounds and no disrespect whatsoever to the opposition, but two Division Four sides now, Sligo going down from Division Three, London at home as well, that certainly helped.
“We got bumped around a little in Monday’s draw, and it would have been nice to have another home game, but nonetheless Portlaoise is only up the road, we won’t have to overnight, it’s fine, we’ll take it. We avoided the big guns, and I was very much aware the Ulster teams that were lurking there, Mayo too, and at this juncture avoiding them is a help.
Offaly v Laois: Paddy Dunican (Shamrocks); Declan Hogan (Tullamore), Eoin Rigney (Rhode), David Dempsey (Ballycommon); Cian Donohoe (St Brigid's), Johnny Moloney (Tullamore), Niall Darby (Rhode); Eoin Carroll (Cappincur), Peter Cunningham (Bracknagh); Shane Horan (Kilmacud Crokes), Anton Sullivan (Rhode), Cathal Mangan (Kilclonfert); Bernard Allen (Tubber), Niall McNamee (Rhode), Ruairi McNamee (Rhode)
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