It’s back to Croke Park on Saturday evening as Laois and Westmeath battle it out in the Division 3 football final. Here’s our match preview:

 

Allianz FL Division 3 final

Laois v Westmeath, Croke Park, 4.45pm - TG4

The 2019 Allianz Football League officially concludes on Saturday evening as the Division 3 final serves up what has all the makings of an intriguing Leinster derby between Laois and Westmeath at headquarters.

The O’Moore men are competing in their second league decider in as many seasons and are also set to make their fifth appearance at Croker in 12 months, having also contested the 2018 Leinster SFC final against Dublin.

Manager John Sugrue has certainly been moving this group in the right direction since taking over a little less than 18 months ago and how the Kerry native would love to add some more silverware to his already impressive reign on Saturday.

Westmeath have already picked up a trophy this year in the form of the O’Byrne Cup – earned with a fully merited victory over Dublin in January – but promotion back to Division 2 was a bigger prize and some more silverware this weekend would cap it off nicely.

The first Westmeath man to manage his home county in 26 years, Jack Cooney has just about enjoyed the dream start in the run up to his side’s championship campaign and it could well be about to get better.

When these two met in Round 4, it was the Lake men that emerged 0-13 to 0-10 winners in Mullingar, with the in-form Ger Egan contributing 0-9, and the Tyrrellspass sharpshooter will again take some watching from the O’Moore defence along with talisman John Heslin and skipper Kieran Martin.

On the opposite end, Evan O’Carroll, Paul Cahillane and Donie Kingston stand out as the chief threats to Cooney’s defence and the latter’s knack for goals could well be what earns the O’Moore men another league trophy when all’s said and done Saturday evening.

Verdict: Laois

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