Welcome along, folks. Six days after losing out to Dublin in the Leinster final, Meath are back in action against Laois at Tullamore’s O’Connor Park. Throw in is minutes away.

For a comprehensive preview to today’s game, read Ewan MacKenna here.

Here are the teams:

LAOIS SF: Eoin Culliton (Timahoe); Cahir Healy (Portlaoise), Kevin Meaney (Arles-Kilcruise), Jamie Kavanagh (Stradbally); Darren Strong (Emo), John O’Loughlin (St Brigid’s), Conor Boyle (Portlaoise); Brendan Quigley (Timahoe), Colm Begley (Parnells); Ross Munnelly (Arles-Kilcruise), Billy Sheehan (Emo), Gary Walsh (Ballylinan); Damien O’Connor (Timahoe), Padraig Clancy (Timahoe), Colm Kelly (Stradbally).

MEATH SF: David Gallagher (St.Peters Dunboyne); Donal Keogan (Rathkenny), Kevin Reilly (NavanO’Mahonys), Bryan Menton (Donaghmore/Ashbourne); Donnacha Tobin (Blackhall Gaels), Shane McAnarney (Clann na nGael), Micky Burke (Longwood); Conor Gillespie (Summerhill), Brian Meade (Rathkenny); Alan Forde (Navan O’Mahonys), Damien Carroll (Ballinabrackey), Graham Reilly (St.Colmcilles); Brian Farrell (Nobber), Joe Sheridan (Seneschalstown), Cian Ward (Wolfe Tones).

And we’re underway here. Laois win possession but Meath win a free. Brian Farrell is then held after a good catch and he has a decent chance to open his account.

Laois 0-1 Meath 0-1 – 3mins: Farrell slots over from the free but seconds later Padraig Clancy turns well to fire over.

Laois 0-2 Meath 0-1 – 4 mins: Ross Munnelly with a superb kick from near 50 metres out when Laois are awarded another free.

Laois 0-2 Meath 0-2 – 5 mins: Mick Burke holds off a couple of challenges to put over with his left boot.

Laois 0-3 Meath 0-2 – 6 mins: Munnelly with his second score of the game.

Laois 0-3 Meath 0-3 – 8 mins: Meath show patience in the build up and find an opening for Graham Reilly to advance forward and shoot between the posts.

Laois 0-4 Meath 0-3 – 9 mins: Half back Darren Strong with a huge effort from distance. It’s successful and he scores his third score of this year’s championship.

Gary Walsh tries his luck but shoots across goal for their third wide of the game. They’ve got an enormous advantage with the wind in this opening half.

Laois 0-5 Meath 0-3 – 13 mins: Brendan Quigley’s attempt at a point bounces a couple of metres out and clips the bar to go over.

Laois 0-6 Meath 0-3 – 15 mins: Good work from Billy Sheehan before Brendan Quigley gives Laois a three-point lead.

Laois 0-7 Meath 0-3 – 18 mins: It’s all Laois at the moment. Munnelly is a real threat in possession and he adds to his tally. It’s been 10 minutes since Meath’s last score now.

Laois 0-7 Meath 0-3 – 21 mins: Kevin Meaney yellow carded and Farrell is on hand to put the free over. Alan Forde has been substituted, meanwhile.

PENALTY TO LAOIS – Madness from goalkeeper David Gallagher, who catches easily before dropping the ball under pressure. He pulls the leg of Kelly and is yellowed carded.

Laois 1-7 Meath 0-4 – 25 mins: Munnelly steps up and confidently slots past Gallagher into the bottom right corner.

Meath back Donal Keogan was injured in the run-up to the penalty and has made way for Eoin Harrington.

Padraig Clancy becomes the third Laois forward to receive a yellow.

Laois 1-8 Meath 0-5 – 33 mins: Six points between the teams with half-time on the horizon. Farrell with his third.

Laois 1-9 Meath 0-5 – 37 mins: The rain is pouring down but Colm Kelly does really well to score from a long way out to open up Laois’ lead.

HALF-TIME: Laois 1-9 Meath 0-5

Here are the first half scorers:

LAOIS: Ross Munnelly 1-3, Colm Kelly 0-2, Padraig Clancy, Darren Strong , Brendan Quigley, Damien O’Connor 0-1 each.
MEATH: Brian Farrell 0-3, Graham Reilly, Mickey Burke 0-1 each.

The Journal’s resident Royal…

Here we go again. Meath have 35 minutes to rescue a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final. No changes on either side.

Laois 1-10 Meath 0-5 – 36 mins: John O’Loughlin offloads to Sheehan, who absolutely blasts over. Decent goal chance there.

Laois 1-12 Meath 0-05 – 39 mins: Laois have come out in this second half like a house on fire – that’s three points without reply. Clancy with the latest on, which clips the inside of the post.

Laois 1-12 Meath 0-7 – 41 mins: Meath have pulled two back through Stephen Bray and Harrington.

Laois 1-12 Meath 0-8 – 44 mins: Farrell with another free after a fould by Cahir Healy, who is yellow carded.

Laois 1-12 Meath 0-9 – 44 mins: A fifth point for Farrell and the deficit is down to six points.

Laois 1-13 Meath 0-9 – 46 mins: Begley with a terrific score. Seconds later, Gallagher pulls off a superb save from Quigley.

David Conway is on for Gary Walsh and Jamie Queeney lines up in Meath’s full forward line as Cian Ward makes way.

Laois 1-13 Meath 0-10 – 52 mins: Cool from Farrell with a free, and not for the first time.

Joe Sheridan causes problems when a long ball comes in and when it breaks to Queeney, he shoots wide.

Laois 1-14 Meath 0-10 – 57mins: MJ Tierney plays a free short to Munnelly but he is obstructed by Tobin. Tierney decides to take the score on second time round.

Super move by Laois involved a dozen or so players ends with John O’Loughlin’s weak strike on goal, which Gallagher palms out of play. Tierney takes the 45′ but it’s held up by the wind.

Laois 1-14 Meath 0-11 – 63 mins: Sheridan comes deep to collect and fires into Farrell. Padraig McMahon, not long on the field, becomes Laois’ seventh play to see yellow. Farrell puts the free over.

Laois 1-15 Meath 0-11 – 65 mins: From an extremely narrow angle, Tierney defies the elements and squeezes a point over the bar.

Laois 1-15 Meath 0-12 – 67 mins: Brian Farrell’s eighth free is success after Peter O’Leary concedes a free and goes into the referee’s book.

Laois 1-15 Meath 1-12 – 69 mins: It’s late, but Meath have pulled a goal back through Peadar Byrne. He plays a handpass to Sheridan before taking it back and driving towards goal. The shot takes a deflection and skims off the grass and over the line. 3 minutes of added time to force extra time.

Free in for Meath and it’s taken short. Bad decision by Stephen Bray, who opts to try for the score but sees his effort go wide. 1 minute on the clock.

FULL-TIME: Laois 1-15 Meath 1-12

The scorers:

LAOIS: Munnelly 1-4, 0-2, Kelly 0-2, Tierney 0-2, Strong, Quigley, O’Connor, Sheehan, Begley all 0-1 each.

MEATH: Farrell 0-8, Byrne 1-0, Burke 0-1, Reilly 0-1, Bray 0-1, Harrington 0-1.

Man of the match John O’Loughlin speaking to RTE Sport:  ”We knew looking at Meath last weekend and against Kildare that they are one of the best teams in the country. We were all up for it and we’re delighted. We had the cushion of the goal at half-time but they really came at us in the second half.”

Meath boss Seamus McEnaney, who says he is clearly disappointed with the result, added that he will give his future with Meath a long, hard thought and make a decision on his future “in the next 4-5 days”.

So Meath’s championship comes to an end, while Laois go into tonight’s quarter-final draw, which takes place at 8.30pm tonight.

That’s my lot… as always, thanks for joining me.