Laois' hurlers marked their territory in Portlaoise by planting pictures of loved ones in the pitch.

Manager Seamus Plunkett came up with the novel method of motivating the players for Saturday's SH Qualifier against Dublin, but it almost backfired for goalkeeper Eoin Reilly when he struggled to relocate a precious photograph of his late grandfather Sean Reilly.

"He wasn't a hurling fanatic, but he came to all my games from a very young age, he was forever offering me advice and guidance. He was someone I looked up to. He was a source of inspiration to me," Reilly told The Irish Examiner

"I'm not sure how many players buried their picture, it was a personal decision. 'Cheddar. is always coming up with different initiatives like this before games.

"I buried it with surgical precision on the Friday evening. It rained that night and I was worried that would make it difficult to find the mark where it was. I went looking for it after the game, but couldn't find it.

"I didn't want to draw attention to what I was doing, but, at the same time, I didn't want to leave the picture on the field. This is a picture that means a lot to me and was one of the last pictures of the two of us together. A couple of young lads spotted me looking for it and curiosity drew them over. Thankfully, I got it in the end."

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