Leinster U20 Football Championship 2020

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

Here is the draw for the U20 Leinster Championship 2020

Leinster U-20 Round 1
Wicklow v Dublin
Carlow v Wexford
Louth v Offaly

Leinster U-20 Quarter Final
Winners of Wicklow/Dublin v Longford
Winners of Carlow/Wexford v Meath
Winners of Louth/Offaly v Kildare
Laois v Westmeath


https://www.laoistoday.ie/2019/11/27/revealed-draw-made-for-leinster-u-20-football-championship/

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

John Kerins Cup
Saturday Januray 4 Round 1
Group 1
Kildare v Laois
Dublin v Meath
Group 2
Kerry v Cork
Galway bye

Saturday January 11 Round 2
Group 1
Laois v Meath
Kildare v Dublin
Group 2
Cork v Galway
Kerry bye

Saturday January 18 Round 3
Group 1
Meath v Kildare
Dublin v Laois
Group 2
Galway v Kerry
Cork Bye

Saturday January 25
Final
1st Placed Team Group 1 v 1st Placed Team Group 2
Play-Off*
2nd Placed Team Group 2 v 3rd Placed Team Group 2 (To give all teams three games)

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

Laois play Meath today @ 2pm in Portlaoise.

Team is:

                                              Niall Gorman (Emo)

Michael Dowling (Portlaoise), Alex Mohan (Portarlington), Neil Keane (The Heath)
 Sean O’Flynn (Courtwood), Gary Saunders (Portlaoise), Jack Lacey (St Joseph’s)

        Barry Howlin (O’Dempsey’s), Sean Michael Corcoran (Portarlington)

Dean Brophy (St Joseph’s), Colin Slevin (Portarlington), PJ Daly (The Heath)
     Damon Larkin (Portlaoise), Ross Bolger (Killeshin), Jack Owens (Emo)


https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/01/10/laois-u-20-football-team-named-for-clash-with-meath/

[The PRO]

I'm hearing Mike Quirke has pulled O'Flynn and Barry from the under 20 championship game this Saturday to keep them for senior duty the next day.
If it's true, it's disastrous for the management and other players and most unfair.

[Laois fan]

Hardly true,kinsella would be gone if it was,they can play sunday anyway

[SCFC]

Hardly true,kinsella would be gone if it was,they can play sunday anyway

It's true alright. I think it's disgraceful. It makes little of guys like Diarmuid Whelan who could do with game time and is over 20.

[Laois fan]

Very unfair county board shouldn’t be allowing this to happen,as you mentioned plenty of seniors like whelan or gary walsh still to get a chance,would make other under 20 lads wonder why they bother

[Batman!!!]

What a shambles

[High Fielder]

I have no problem with this if it happens. If Quirke does keep them for the Seniors, they're better off. They'll learn much more playing Senior football than Underage. Kildare slaughter young lads with football at underage and not many of them progress. If anything, it doesn't prepare them for what's coming, as Senior is a different ball game. There's an opportunity there for two other lads now anyway, so let's look at the positives as well. Now if the two lads wanted to play, I'd have sympathy for them, but my guess is they're fairly happy where they are.

It might be a moot point anyway with the weather the way it is.

[Ballyroan Abbey]

From what I was told one of them was thick enough that he considered walking away from the Senior Panel in order to play, surely your loyalty is more to lads you grew up playing with

[High Fielder]

If he feels that way, he should do what he feels is right. I'm tired saying this on here and elsewhere. Underage football will only go so far to preparing you for Senior. For years now, we have looked at young lads, under developed and not properly tested, and hailed them as the next big thing. I'm guilty of it myself. It rarely happens. If you're good enough to be playing with the Seniors, enjoy it and learn as much as you can.

If you're only on the panel with the Seniors, common sense dictates that you should be allowed to play with the 20s, if only to get game time. A bit like the squad players are allowed to do in the rugby

[Laois Rising]

The two lads should be allowed line out with the under 20s. It is a competition Loais can expect to do reasonable well in with a little bit of luck (and playing our strongest team). They will be long enough playing senior. As an underage player you want to play in these games and set out to win something. It would mean everything to these players and to the county if Laois were to win an underage title again. We have been starved of any sort of success for well over a decade now. Not entering our strongest teams is not going to change that statistic anytime soon.

As others have posted here- Laois have a panel of 30 players with a number yet to get meaningful game time. We could easily give the two lads a pass for Sunday and give likes of Walsh, Whelan, Healy etc. an opportunity of more game time. They are surely chomping at the bit to get out on the field and show what they can offer. I don't see our senior team being dramatically weakened by the two lads being released back to the U20s. 

[High Fielder]

I see your point but I respectfully disagree. There is no way any of us could have envisaged the start to the season the seniors have had. And O'Flynn and Barry were central to everything that was good against Armagh. There's a lot at stake for staying in Division 2 this year, so we should try and make hay while we're in this form. Besides, it shows all the younger lads that there are places up for grabs if you prove yourself. For far too long, we kept knocking on the same old doors and rarely took chances on young lads. You can't beat a hungry young footballer for passion and energy, and O'Flynn in particular is made of that stuff.

I have my own opinion on this, but ultimately it rests with the players themselves. If they want to play, they should probably be let do so. Personally I'd rather see us do everything possible to stay in Division 2.

[on the hop]

Laois play Meath today @ 2pm in Portlaoise.

Team is:

                                              Niall Gorman (Emo)

Michael Dowling (Portlaoise), Alex Mohan (Portarlington), Neil Keane (The Heath)
 Sean O’Flynn (Courtwood), Gary Saunders (Portlaoise), Jack Lacey (St Joseph’s)

        Barry Howlin (O’Dempsey’s), Sean Michael Corcoran (Portarlington)

Dean Brophy (St Joseph’s), Colin Slevin (Portarlington), PJ Daly (The Heath)
     Damon Larkin (Portlaoise), Ross Bolger (Killeshin), Jack Owens (Emo)


https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/01/10/laois-u-20-football-team-named-for-clash-with-meath/

that doesn't appear to be the team??

[Giovanni]

That was the team for the Meath match earlier in the year oth.