Local bragging rights will be up for grabs when Carlow and Laois take to the field in Netwatch Cullen Park this evening.

The hosts' manager Turlough O'Brien will be confined to the stands as he is currently serving as 12-week ban and selector Tom Wogan will don the bainisteoir bib in his absence.

"It has not affected the players. We've moved on from the league and our eyes are fully focused on Laois," O'Brien remarked during the week.

Under O'Brien, the Barrowsiders showed signs of improvement during the early stages of the league but they have since lost midfielder Brendan Murphy to the US.

Murphy was the star of the show when the county last gained a provincial victory, at the expense of Louth in 2011, and they can ill-afford to be without players of his calibre, particularly against a midfield combination of John O'Loughlin and Brendan Quigley.

Tomas O Flatharta has handed a championship debut to Paul Kingson (left corner-forward) and he will look to the like of the aforementioned midfield partnership and Ross Munnelly and Donie Kingston to lead the way.

"I would never look at things that are happening in other camps, a lot of the time if you get complacent about things like that you pay the price for it, that's why we are completely, completely focussed on what we are doing ourselves and the way that we want to play ourselves."

Barring a surprise of seismic proportions, it will be O Flatharta and Laois who advance to a quarter-final meeting with Kildare on June 6.

Verdict - Laois.

Carlow team: Robbie Molloy; Barry John Molloy, Shane Redmond, Kieran Nolan; Mark Fitzgerald, Daniel St Ledger, Benny Kavanagh; Seán Gannon, Darragh Foley; Ciarán Moran, Eoghan Ruth, David Bambrick; Alan Kelly, Ed Finnegan, Darragh O'Brien.

Laois team: Graham Brody; Damien O'Connor, Mark Timmons, Stephen Attride; Darren Strong, Robbie Kehoe, Colm Begley; Brendan Quigley, John O'Loughlin; Niall Donoher, Conor Boyle, Evan O'Carroll; Ross Munnelly, Donie Kingston, Paul Kingston.

Match details: Saturday, Netwatch Cullen Park, 7pm.

Referee: Paddy Neilan.

Odds: Carlow 6/1, Draw 14/1, Laois 1/8.

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