TAILTEANN CUP ROUND 1

KILDARE V LONGFORD GAAGO

Today (6pm), Hawk eld

HOW will Kildare’s attitude be here? It’s their rst time in the Tailteann Cup and it’s a big task to get them up for it after the season they’ve had.

They still have just one victory all year, a single-point Leinster quarter- nal win over Wicklow.

Longford have had a difficult year as well, shipping 3-19 to Meath in the Championship and not mounting a Division Four promotion challenge.

LEITRIM V WATERFORD

LEITRIM were promoted from Division Four but, after a heavy League nal defeat by Laois, had to face Sligo the following weekend in the Connacht Championship and were well beaten. Waterford upset Tipp to win a rst Munster tie since 2019, but were then well beaten by Clare.

SLIGO V WEXFORD

SLIGO should really be going hard after the Tailteann Cup.

They nished a respectable fourth in Division Three and put Galway to the pin of their collar.

Wexford did hit Carlow for four goals in Leinster, but then Louth got four green ags against them the next day.

FERMANAGH V WICKLOW

FERMANAGH were heavily beaten by Armagh in Ulster but as a Division Two side — they were relegated despite two wins and a draw — they’re one of the Tailteann Cup favourites.

Wicklow were relegated from Division Three but saw off Westmeath in Leinster.

DOWN V LIMERICK

DOWN badly needed to avoid the Tailteann Cup — but losing the Division Three nal to Westmeath and the Ulster semi- nal to Armagh cost them.

Now, they badly need to win it. Limerick lost by 11 points to Cork in Munster and didn’t win or draw a Division Three game.

OFFALY V LONDON

OFFALY should be able to parcel off the Dublin Leinster semi- nal defeat as something from a parallel universe, as they’re on the rise with a young side and should go after this.

London, for their part, took a 27-point tanking from Galway in Connacht.