Reilly ready for more hard road ahead of Armagh ‘four-pointer’

GRAHAM REILLY is discussing Meath’s stasis in Division 2 when it’s pointed out to him that he actually had a season in Division 3 after relegation in 2012.

“Thanks for reminding me,” he smiles.

The Royals bounced straight back, contesting the final with Monaghan the following spring. But while the Farney have pressed on and transformed themselves into one of the best teams around, the Royals have been stuck in limbo in the second tier, at once toying with promotion and flirting with relegation.

“Look, Meath football, the way it’s been over the last couple of years, we’ve been inconsistent with our performances,” Reilly agrees.

“It’s really something that Andy (McEntee) has tried to get into the team, to perform ... we can’t afford not to have our work-rate up to 100pc because we’re not good enough to beat teams if we don’t.”

It’s been a long road for Reilly. He’s in his 13th season with the county now having been brought in after the Meath minors were beaten in 2007. His first training session was the same infamous night Graham Geraghty clashed with another new face in the squad, Stephen Sheppard. Geraghty subsequently left the panel before returning later that year.

“I came in when Graham Geraghty had a go at a certain player, that was my first training session,” he recalls.

“I was only coming out of minor. We were beaten in the minor championship with Meath and then I was called inside for a trial game. Well, I was called into the squad. Yeah, that was my first hello to Graham Geraghty!”

Meath lost the All-Ireland semi-final to Cork that year and would make the last four again two years later but they have largely drifted along in Reilly’s time.

“I came in when I was 17 and Trevor

Giles was finishing up. Graham Geraghty was playing, Darren Fay was still playing. Boys like that, who were at the latter end of their career.

“But Meath football’s dip, if we’re being honest, was already on the way at that time. Even though we got to two All-Ireland semi-finals in 2007 and 2009 and we won the Leinster in 2010. We were still competitive.

“But, look, it’s up to Meath development squads to produce the players that we used to have. I think there’s a good group of young lads coming through at the moment that could possibly be the next Graham Geraghty and Trevor Giles, and I hope that they are.”

Usually a mainstay of the team, Reilly hasn’t started either of Meath’s league games so far this year with a virus in January slowing down his preparations.

“It can be frustrating because I’ve probably been used to playing, week in and week out. But the lads we have playing at the moment are playing good football, so it’s up to me to get back into the 15. Look, I’m not the only one in that position and for Cillian (O’Sullivan) and other lads who are probably saying themselves, regulars who aren’t getting much game-time at the moment ... but if Meath are performing well, like they did on Saturday night and against Tipperary, and we’re winning games, I’m happy enough just to make an impact. But I won’t take that for the whole league. I want to play football. You know, I’m 29, I don’t have many years left.”

On Sunday, they face Armagh in Páirc Tailteann in a game that will go a long way towards deciding how the rest of the league campaign pans out.

“Yeah, it’s a four-pointer probably for both teams. If we win on Sunday it will put us right back into the promotion (mix); if we lose, then we’re facing the other way … it would probably make the Cork game in two weeks’ time a relegation thing nearly. So, it’s a massive game for both teams.”