Reds have a real chance but Royals should pull through

EIGHT days after the county hurlers lit up Croke Park, the footballers of Louth and Meath will attempt to make up some leeway on their poorer relations when they clash in the Leinster SFC at Parnell Park.

The prize for the winners is a day out at headquarters against the all conquering Dubs in a semi-final, while the losers - barring a miracle - won’t be seeing Croke Park in 2016.

The prospect of entering the lions den against the Dubs could be viewed as a booby prize but nevertheless it’s one that both counties will only be too keen to grasp.

Despite a poor provincial record in recent years, Meath along with Kildare, are the counties most likely to break that Dublin dominance, though how far down the road that is remains to be seen.

Louth are still a tier or two further down the line but have a real opportunity to make major strides by at last putting one over their Royal neighbours and making amends for past heartbreak.

The Wee County more than most have suffered at the hands of Meath teams over the years, failing to take the spoils when at times they were four and five points a better team.

What happened in 2010 or indeed earlier years, when victory was snatched from their grasp, will count for nothing when the counties take to the field on Sunday.

However belief as much as footballing skill could be vital in determining who remains in contention for provincial honours and who takes the scenic route to God knows where.

Louth have been the most active of the two teams in recent times and they have tasted success as well with a division 4 league crown after winning promotion back to division 3 at the first time of asking.

They followed that up with a flattering 10 point win over Carlow in their championship opener at O’Moore Park. There was plenty to admire about the performance of Colin Kelly’s charges, especially a scoring tally of 2-24 though the Louth men looked naive and porous in defence at times against a team that were far from world beaters.

The outing and the victory will have brought what is essentially an inexperienced Louth outfit on enormously. However it is unlikely that scores will come quite as easily against the Meath men while a repeat of their defensive lapses could prove extremely costly.

With Ryan Burns back to somewhere close to his best form alongside the bustling Conor Grimes Louth have the inside firepower to trouble the Meath rearguard. Jim McEneaney, Declan Byrne and Conall McKeever also have the ability to play crucial roles and keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Midfielder James Califf is another having an excellent season and is well capable of swaying the midfield battle as well as punishing any indiscretion in the Meath rearguard.

Meath for their part have been lying in the long grass for the best part of 10 weeks. Their last competitive outing was against Laois on the first Sunday of April when they secured their NFL Division 2 status.

They have kept a very low profile since then, though recent challenge games included a win against Donegal and a defeat to Cork which was played behind closed doors. The panel only returned from a four day training camp in Portugal last Sunday.

Injuries, both long and short term, as well as the retirements of Kevin Reilly and Stephen Bray have taken their toll in recent times.

A shoulder injury is likely to rule out fullback Conor McGill while James McEntee could be facing a race against time to be fit after picking up a hand injury in training.

Meath’s problems are not just confined to defence and a lot of head scratching could be done before Harry Rooney’s midfield parter is selected. Graham Reilly and Andrew Tormey are possibilities but it will hardly be a major surprise if Ratoath’s Cian O’Brien is handed his championship debut.

O’Brien impressed when getting some game time in the NFL and could in the long term prove the ideal partner for Rooney.

Paddy O’Rourke should return between the posts after suspension and injury brought a premature ending to his league campaign. Donal Keogan, Mickey Burke and Donnacha Tobin are almost certain to start in defence while Padraic Harnan could revert back to a defensive position following a stint in attack.

Graham Reilly, Mickey Newman and Cillian O’Sullivan will likely be included in attack with Eamon Wallace also pushing hard for a starting spot.

With positions counting for little in the modern game how the respective managers pair up their players could be crucial. Meath will certainly want to limit the influence of Ryan Burns and that could mean a man-marking task for Donal Keogan.

Mental toughness and self belief will also play a key role and while Louth have no reason to fear Meath at present, the Royals could well be that little bit more battled hardened.

A black card, a sending off, a missed opportunity or a defensive lapse could sway the tie either way. The Louth men certainly have momentum behind them at present but how often in the past have they allowed the ‘golden ticket’ slip from their grasp.

Just how prepared Meath are for this tussle will only be revealed on Sunday. Twelve months ago they were let off the hook by Wicklow in Navan but weren’t as lucky against Westmeath in the semi-final.

Passion and excitement should be plentiful in the tight surrounds of Parnell Park. Louth may well be on the way back but not at a pace that will see them overcome this hurdle.