Laois name debutant Lawlor at full forward

Laois have selected Paul Lawlor at full forward for Sunday's Leinster football quarter-final against Carlow in Portlaoise

Laois have selected Paul Lawlor at full forward for Sunday's Leinster football quarter-final against Carlow in Portlaoise. The Emo player is one of two championship debutants for Laois.

Billy Sheehan (groin) and Colm Parkinson (leg) have failed to recover from injuries so manager Mick O'Dwyer has had to rejig his forward line, naming Donie Brennan at left-corner forward and former captain Brian McDonald in the other. Chris Conway will play in the half forwards alongside Ross Munnelly and Gary Kavanagh.

Full back Cathal Ryan steps up from the under-21 side to make his first championship appearance, with Darren Rooney reverting to wing back.

Carlow are due to name their team this evening as they await the outcome of full back Mark Brennan's appeal against the red card shown in their first-round win over Wicklow.

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Down and Donegal will finalise their starting line-ups this evening ahead of their Ulster quarter-final at Ballybofey. Down goalkeeper Mickey McVeigh and defender Dan McCartan are carrying hamstring and knee injuries respectively since the first-round win over Cavan. Donegal goalkeeper Paul Durcan is back in training after an injury.

LAOIS (SF v Carlow): F Byron; A Fennelly, C Ryan, P McMahon; D Rooney, T Kelly, J Higgins; N Garvan, P Clancy; R Munnelly, C Conway, G Kavanagh; B McDonald, P Lawlor, D Brennan.

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan

Ian O'Riordan is an Irish Times sports journalist writing on athletics