GAA Digest: Big Walsh cup win for Laois over Dublin

New Laois boss Teddy McCarthy won’t read anything into his team’s three point Walsh Cup win (2-14 to 1-14) over an under-strength Dublin in Portlaoise on Sunday.

“We have to put everything into context. Dublin probably had their second team out,” said former Cork star McCarthy afterwards.

“But we can only play what is put up against us, and in fairness to the guys today they picked up where they left off last week. All these games are good for us. We need to be playing the likes of Dublin to see where we stand.”

Dublin boss Anthony Daly offered no excuses for his team’s defeat.

“Fair play to Laois. They wanted it more than we did,” Daly said.

“When we showed the bit of urgency at the end we showed that we could do it, but we weren’t up for it enough and if fellas can’t get themselves up for it there will be somebody else playing -- that’s the thing.

“At the minute we are so short of boys -- we had Gary Maguire and four subs, that’s all we had -- there was no one else available.

“Dotsy O’Callaghan is sick, Paul Ryan was in bed sick all week and we had to bring him along just to have enough -- that’s what you have, but there were positives as well.

“It was fantastic seeing Danny Sutcliffe there at 19 being able to step up and hold his own at that level.”
 
Brogan Ready

Dublin star Alan Brogan expects to play in Saturday night’s big NFL opener against Kerry at Croke Park despite a recent knee injury.

“The knee feels grand, and I hope to get back at it in training this week with Dublin,” Brogan told the Irish Independent. “I think I’ll be okay for Kerry, if I’m picked. I haven’t done a huge amount of training. We’ll have to wait and see.

“To be honest, I’m in the same position as this time last year. I think at this stage you have to earn your stripes with Pat Gilroy and have the work done, which is only fair because the lads have been training away in January, so I certainly wouldn’t want to be standing in the way of any of those lads getting their opportunity.

“I think it will probably be something similar this year in that it will be a slow start to the league because I have missed a lot of the training. But aside from anything else it will be a big occasion in Croke Park.

“The night matches are very enjoyable so I think any footballer would want to play in those type of matches. I’d be hoping I might get a few minutes off the bench anyway.”

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