Juniors poised to reach rare All-Ireland decider
MEATH will be hot favourites to advance to an All-Ireland Junior Football Championship Final against either Leitrim or Kerry when they travel to Nowlan Park to take on Kilkenny at the penultimate stage this Saturday at 3pm.
The Cats were recently crowned British champions following a comprehensive 3-16 to 1-6 win over Warwickshire in the final, played in Birmingham.
It was the second time for Kilkenny to be crowned champions of Britain and they came through the competition unbeaten, defeating holders Lancashire in the semi-final. They had earlier beaten Warwickshire by a goal in the group stages but have shown remarkable improvement since then.
They are managed by a Kerry man, Christy Walsh, who has put a huge amount of work into the squad since they started participating in the British championship in 2013 after dropping out of the NFL.
Meath, who have concentrated on youth this year, had nine points to spare over Louth in the Leinster final, having earlier halted Wexford’s three-in-a-row aspirations as well as defeating Kildare.
One particular attribute Meath has shown in abundance so far in the campaign is their scoring prowess, with their full forward line of Daire Rowe, James Conlon and Kevin Ross a very potent force.
St Colmcille’s Ben Brennan is another very capable forward, but there are major doubts surrounding Paddy Kennelly, scorer of three points in the Leinster final. Kennelly picked up an injury recently and is considered extremely doubtful, while defender Jamie Reilly, who came on as a sub against Louth, is definitely out with a shoulder injury.
However, on the positive side Curraha’s Conor Moriarty - who missed the Leinster final because of injury - should be back in contention for a starting place, while Moylagh’s Sean Reilly, who missed earlier games because of exams and holidays, could also be in contention for a starting spot.
Meath are strong at midfield in the partnership of senior panellist Adam Flanagan alongside Conor Farrell. They also possess a solid halfback line in David Toner, Joe Sweeney and Kevin Traynor.
Kilkenny were beaten at this stage by Mayo in 2015, while Meath haven’t contested a semi-final since 2006. Their last All-Ireland final appearance was in 2005, while the 0-16 to 2-7 win over Galway in 2003 was the last time they were crowned All-Ireland champions.
Kilkenny, especially on home soil, could pose a much bigger obstacle than might be expected. However, it is difficult seeing Meath falling at this hurdle.