Westmeath expectations were high this year after their All-Ireland under-21 success and their relatively smooth passage through the preliminary rounds in Leinster. Laois, not immune to underage success in recent years themselves, punctured those hopes yesterday and the history of past under-21 winners doesn't really give them any solace.

Little linkage can be made between under-21 and senior success. Indeed, the only precedents of a definite link is if a county wins three consecutive under-21 titles. Eleven members of Kerry's three-in-a-row under-21 teams from 1975 to 1977 ended up getting their hands on the Sam Maguire, while Cork's '84 to '86 under-21 teams provided the backbone of their 1989 and 1990 All-Ireland winning teams.

More recently, All-Ireland winning teams have had a fair proportion of under-21s among their number - Meath had five in 1996 while Galway had six last year - but neither counties' under-21 teams won that competition in the same year.

Still, Dessie Dolan has a couple of more years at under-21 left. Perhaps Westmeath can complete the hat-trick of wins that guarantees senior success.