Joe McDonagh Cup Round 1

Saturday, April 8

Down v Kerry, Ballycran, 1pm

When these two teams met in Division 2A of the League there was just a point between the teams and another tight game is expected here.

Kerry were at home in that League match but the roles are reversed here and Down are always an especially hard nut to crack when they bring teams to the Ards peninsula.

Both teams play a fast-paced attacking brand of hurling and have forwards of the highest calibre.

Shane and Jordan Conway did most of the damage for Kerry in that League match and will be the chief danger-men again for the Kingdom.

Tom McGrattan and Daithi Sands are Down’s most dangerous duo, and they also have a steady man on the frees in the shape of Paul Sheehan.

Kerry have a happy habit of timing a run to form for the Joe McDonagh Cup, reaching the last three finals, and are slight favourites here.

Down panel: Stephen Keith, Tom Murray, John McManus, Darragh Mallon, Mark Fisher, Matt Conlon, Niall McFarland, Liam Savage, Pearse Óg McCrickard, Ryan McCusker, Paul Sheehan, Barry Trainor, Tim Prenter, Daithi Sands, Tom McGrattan, Pearse Smyth, Finn Turpin, Stuart Martin, Jordan Doran, Deaglan Mallon, Aodhan Furlong, Jason Croskery, Oisin MacManus, Ruairi McCrickard, Chris Egan, Caolan Teggart.

Kerry panel: John B O'Halloran, Cillian Trant, Darragh Shanahan, Paudie O'Connor, Eric Leen, Evan Murphy, Eoin Ross, Fionan MacKessy, Kyle O'Connor, Shane Conway, Jordan Conway, Michael Leane, Brandon Barrett, Gavin Dooley, Colin Walsh, Louis Dee, Sean Weir, Tadhg Brick, Darragh Slattery, Conor O'Keeffe, Niall Mulcahy, Dan Goggin, Philip Lucid, Keith Carmody, Vincent Doyle, Tom Doyle.

Offaly v Laois, Glenisk O'Connor Park, 3pm

Both teams had contrasting springs with Offaly enjoying the boost of promotion from Division 2A and Laois moving in the opposite direction having been relegated from Division 1.

But even though they lost every game they contested in Division 1, there’s always the chance that playing at that higher level will have Laois more highly tuned than an Offaly team that played inferior opposition on a weekly basis.

The Faithful County are also playing for a fifth weekend in a row, so that will ask a lot of questions of their strength and conditioning.

Momentum counts for a lot though, and they have it and Laois don’t. Their forwards are on song at the moment too, and the firepower provided by the likes of Cillian Kiely, David Nally, Brian Duignan, and Eoghan Cahill could be enough to give them a slight edge here.

Offaly panel: Stephen Corcoran, Ben Conneely, Ciaran Burke, David King, James Nally, Jason Sampson, Killian Sampson, Cillian Kiely, Joey Keenaghan, David Nally, Jack Clancy, Adrian Cleary, Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan, Eoghan Cahill, Eamonn Cleary, Cathal Kiely, Paddy Delaney, Paddy Clancy, Dara Maher, John Murphy, Jack Screeney, Shane Dooley, Liam Langton, Eoghan Parlon, Cathal O'Meara

Laois panel: Enda Rowland, Fiachra C Fennell, Padraig Delaney, Donnchadh Hartnett, Ryan Mullaney, Ian Shanahan, Liam O'Connell, Patrick Purcell, Jack Kelly, Aaron Dunphy, Stephen Maher, Aidan Corby, Martin Phelan, James Keyes, Stephen Bergin, Peter Walsh, Padraic Dunne, Liam Senior, Gearoid Lynch, Padraig Lalor, Colm Stapleton, Fionán Mahoney, James Duggan, Tomás Keyes, Jordan Walsh, Ross King

Carlow v Kildare, Netwatch Cullen Park, 3pm

Kildare have named the same team that came so close to beating Offaly in last weekend’s Division 2A League Final.

The Lilywhites had a hugely encouraging League campaign, but the mental and physical demands of that defeat may have taken a toll, even if it was their first defeat in 16 matches.

This is the third time these two teams have played this year already, with Kildare coming out on top in both the Kehoe Cup and Allianz League clashes.

Kildare were particularly dominant victors in that League game, winning in the end by 14 points, but Carlow were understrength and will field a more potent looking team for this game with Martin Kavanagh and Chris Nolan the key men in attack.

Even if the home team rise to the occasion, everything we have seen from Kildare so far this year suggests they’re currently operating a higher level.

Carlow panel: Brian Tracey, Paul Doyle, Conor Lawlor, Niall Bolger, Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Diarmuid Byrne, Jack McCullagh, James Doyle, Kevin McDonald, Jon Nolan, Martin Kavanagh, Conor Kehoe, Jack Tracey, Paddy Boland, Chris Nolan, Ciaran Abbey, JP Treacy, Richard Coady, Michael Joyce, Fiach O’Toole, Scott Treacy, Jack Kavanagh, Paudie O’Shea, Ciaran Kavanagh, Lorcan Doyle, John Michael Nolan

Kildare panel: Paddy McKenna, Niall Ó Muineacháin, Simon Leacy, Cian Shanaha, Paul Dolan, Rian Boran, Conan Boran, Johnny Byrne, Cathal McCabe, James Burke, Gerry Keegan, Cian Boran, Brian Byrne, Declan Flaherty, Cathal Dowling, Seán Burke, John McKeon, Cormac Byrne, Sean Christanseen, Micheál Hogan, Jack Travers, Drew Costello, Harry Carroll, Sean Whelan, Mark Delaney, David Qualter.