NO ANDY WAY TO SAY IT..THIS IS MUST-WIN

Donegal have been somewhat surprisingly relegated but bounced back and survived with relative comfort, their years of experience in competing in the top tier and at the back end of the summer standing to them.

For Meath to have a realistic chance, a good start, or at least a solid one, was imperative.

Derry might have appeared to be similarly vulnerable in 2013 but took five points from the first six and ended up reaching the final.

Roscommon won four out of their first five in 2016, enough to see them into the semi-finals.

Westmeath, on the other hand, have failed to get liftoff in their last two Division One campaigns, losing all seven games in 2009 and ‘14.

A newly-promoted county losing their first two games in Division One is usually fatal, with just one exception – Monaghan in 2010. But they only survived by the slimmest of margins, edging out Derry on points scored.

Kerry and Mayo have repeatedly flirted with relegation after slow starts and have been pointless after two games on seven occasions between them only to stay up. Indeed, Kerry lost their first four in 2013 and survived.

However, teams of that pedigree have a reservoir of experience and confidence that fuels their resilience to emerge from such scenarios, a calling card Meath don’t have.

Moreover, and unusually for a Meath side, they lack firepower. They scored just 0-7 at home to Donegal and 1-9 in Tyrone.

Last year, after holding up well in defence for long periods of the Leinster final, they could only manage 0-4 against Dublin. They were more competitive when next facing Division One opposition in the Super 8s, averaging 15 points per outing, but still well short of the tallies Kerry, Mayo and Donegal were putting up regularly.

They have just two home games left, starting with the visit of Mayo.

With no newlypromoted county having survived in Division One after losing their first three games, a victory is essential.