There are three Leinster senior hurling championship quarter-finals taking place this weekend and here we preview the scheduled games for Mullingar, Portlaoise and Tullamore.

 

Saturday, May 27th

Leinster SHC quarter-final

Westmeath v Offaly, TEG Cusack Park, 7pm

Westmeath sealed their passage through to this weekend's Leinster quarter-finals with a two-point victory over neighbours Meath in their final round-robin game.

Saturday sees Michael Ryan's men as 5/2 outsiders when they welcome Offaly to Mullingar in what is the second championship meeting in as many years between the two counties, with the Lake men having delivered an emphatic 2-22 to 1-11 victory in the two counties' round-robin clash of 12 months ago.

Since that time Kevin Ryan has taken charge of Offaly and the team had some decent displays during the league before being demolished by Tipperary on their home turf in last month's league quarter-final meeting.

Shane Dooley has been leading the front lines for the Faithful men again this season and they'll need a big contribution from the Tullamore sharpshooter once more if they're to avoid defeat from their neighbours in back-to-back summers.

Allan Devine has registered 0-22 (0-15 from frees, 0-1 '65') for Westmeath in their first three outings in the championship and if his radar is on the Lake men could very well sneak a coveted win.

Verdict: Offaly

 

Sunday, May 28th

Leinster SHC quarter-finals

Laois v Wexford, O'Moore Park, 2pm

Laois bring a 100 per cent record from their three round robin games into this quarter-final but are still 6/1 to cause an upset against Wexford at O'Moore Park on Sunday.

The Model men's flying start under Davy Fitzgerald saw them promoted to Division 1A of the Allianz League with a game to spare this past spring, before taking a huge quarter-final scalp against Kilkenny come the first Sunday in April.

An eight-week suspension handed down to Fitzgerald as a result of his pitch invasion in the semi-final defeat to Tipperary sees the Slayneysiders without their so often fired-up bainisteoir for this weekend, but they should still deliver comfortably nonetheless.

Sunday's game will be the first championship meeting between these two since 2005, when Wexford scored an 11-point victory at Croke Park, and there could be a similar margin should the favourites click in Portlaoise.

If the home side are to cause a shock here one would imagine that their deadly shooters Ross King and Stephen Maher will have a lot to do with it.

Verdict: Wexford

Galway v Dublin, O'Connor Park, 4pm - RTE

East meets west this Sunday in Tullamore as league champions Galway look to book their slot into the Leinster championship semi-finals when they take on Dublin.

Relegated from Division 1 last month, the Dubs head into Sunday's clash with the Tribesmen as 7/2 underdogs - the same odds Cork were at before they defeated Tipperary last Sunday - and going by their last competitive display the west siders don't look like they're in for an upset.

Micheál Donoghue's charges' 16-point victory over the All-Ireland champions last month has helped to bump them up to joint favourites with Kilkenny for the Bob O'Keeffe Cup this summer and they'll be keen for a flying start come Sunday's throw-in.

Two years back was the last championship meeting between these pair and it saw the capital men inflicted with a 5-19 to 1-18 hammering in a Leinster quarter-final replay, with the victors going on to contest September's All-Ireland final against eventual winners Kilkenny.

This Galway group will no doubt have designs on another extended championship run this summer and Ger Cunningham's men should provide them with a stiff enough test for the opening round this weekend.

Verdict: Galway

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