Having been relegated into Division Four, Laois face a tough first outing for a clash against Sligo, while Oisín McConville’s league tenure as Wicklow manager begins with a tough trip to Carlow.
Carlow v Wicklow, Cullen Park @ 7pm, Saturday 28th January
Neighbours Carlow and Wicklow meet in the basement division, and both sides will be eager to start their seasons on a positive note. Oisin McConville’s installation as manager has excited Wicklow fans and they will hope he can lead the likes of Kevin Quinn and the county’s other young talent to some success this year.
The side will be hoping to bounce back from their third tier relegation after they finished bottom of the third division in 2022, while Carlow will be looking to improve their seventh place positioning of last year in the fourth division. The county progressed to the quarter-final of the Tailteann Cup last season and pushed eventual winners Westmeath close in that game. Knowing they have potential, the side will be hoping that home advantage can help them past the Garden County.
Wexford v London, Wexford Park @ 7pm, Saturday 28th January
Former county star John Hegarty has taken over the reigns at Wexford and his impressive club management experience could well see the county improve their standings. A sixth place finish in the league standings last season was far from impressive although the side did show some flair in beating Offaly in the opening round of the Championship.
Their opponents London pushed Leitrim very close in the Connacht quarter-final after they finished fifth in the bottom division. The side’s league meeting of 2022 saw Wexford emerge triumphant at McGovern Park on a scoreline of 0-11 to London’s 1-6. John Tubritt and Mark Rossiter each notched three points in that game and could be to the fore today. London’s Liam Gavaghan is the man to watch for the visitors, his fielding and scoring skills could be a real danger to the Model County.
Leitrim v Waterford, Páirc Seán MacDiarmada @ 1pm, Sunday 29th January
Leitrim were competitive in Division 4 last season, ending their campaign in fourth with four wins and three losses. The Ridge County came very close to a Tailteann Cup semi-final but were just edged by Sligo in one of the most engaging inter-county games of last season.
Andy Moran’s outfit will be all too familiar with opponents Waterford, who finished rock bottom of the league last season with one point. The Crystal County could be given the title of the worst intercounty football team in the country at the moment and they will have to show something if they are to escape that tag this season. Their last encounter with Leitrim ended in a 1-13 to 2-17 loss at Fraher Field. Leitrim talisman Keith Beirne accumulated 12 points in that tie and he’ll surely be hungry for more scores on Sunday. Darragh Corcoran could be the Deise’s most dangerous player, he scored 1-6 in that fixture and will look to lead his county to a much-needed victory this weekend.
Sligo v Laois, Markievicz Park @ 2pm, Sunday 29th January
Sligo looked like a team on the up last year, progressing to a Tailteann semi-final which they narrowly lost to Cavan at Croke Park. They also missed out on promotion from the fourth division by a single point and will look to make up that ground this season. The Yeats County could well be the primary contenders for the Division 4 title in 2023, with consistent scorers like Alan Reilly and Patrick O’Connor in their squad.
Laois may also be a contender for the title but will have to show they are up for the challenge after their third tier relegation of last season. The O’Moore County were defeated by a single goal when they hosted Westmeath in the Tailteann competition, showing just how competitive they can be. If the likes of Mark Barry and Evan O’Carroll can get in scoring form they could well put it up to Sligo.
