Relegated Royals look beyond NFL
MORE than seven months after their last match, Meath resume their NFL Division 1 campaign when they travel to Parnell Park this Saturday to take on Dublin in a round six tie which has a 7pm throw-in.
The meeting of these great rivals was scheduled to go ahead two days before St Patrick’s Day, but then came lockdown where the country ground to a halt due to the pandemic and all activities had to be suspended.
Meath’s last outing was at home to Galway on March 1st, a fifth successive defeat that confirmed relegation back to Division 2 after just one season in the top flight.
With the conclusion of the league in doubt, not to mention the GAA season as a whole, there was a glimmer that Meath might avoid the drop by default.
As late as last week there was further speculation that the league might not be concluded in order to curtail travelling and to protect the prospect of a championship.
Some counties, particularly in Ulster, are uncomfortable at the Central Competitions Controls Committee decision to press ahead with the conclusion of the league despite the spiralling of virus cases and the impact it is having on some squads.
However, such is the speed that the virus is moving and restrictions being imposed, it is by no means certain that the competition will reach a conclusion, with the final round of games scheduled for Sunday week.
Regardless of league placings, most intermanagers will be keen to use the two remaining leagues ties as a build-up ahead of the proposed championship.
A clash of Meath and Dublin without spectators will likely create an eerie atmosphere at the Donnycarney venue and while Meath have nothing tangible to play for at this stage there will be plenty more than pride at stake from a Royals viewpoint.
For several decades now Dublin have been the yardstick for Meath teams to judge themselves on. Manager Andy McEntee will feel that the gap between themselves and their closest rival is at last beginning to narrow and from that perspective alone this is an important match for the present squad.
There is of course the small matter of the provincial championship and the quarter-final clash away to either Wexford or Wicklow on Sunday November 8th and so these league matches against Dublin and Monaghan are ideal preparation.
With the top team being declared champions Dublin still have an outside chance of the title, but with Galway, Kerry and Tyrone all ahead of them in the Division 1 table it would take an exceptional set of results for them to overtake all of the counties above.
Last June Dessie Farrell’s plans for 2020 suffered a blow when Jack McCaffrey dropped a bombshell by announcing that he was stepping away from the inter-county scene. McCaffrey, a medical doctor based in Kilkenny, won his fourth All-Star award in 2019. Then came the retirement of Diarmuid Connolly, though that didn’t come as a major surprise.
Despite those defections Farrell still has a squad to pick from that is the envy of every other county manager and there is also an abundance of young talent coming through the ranks.
Meath have been in action against Tipperary, Down and mostly recently Cavan in preparation for the restart of the season.
Boss McEntee is expected to have most of his panel available for selection apart from the injured Shane Gallagher and Padraic Harnan.
Seneschalstown’s Cathal Hickey is a newcomer to the squad and the former star minor lined out at wing back against the Breffni men and could see action against the Dubs.
Another of that 2018 Leinster Minor-winning team - Cian McBride - has also joined the panel since his return from Australia where he is on a two-year contract with AFL outfit Essendon. With the AFL season at an end McBride’s immediate plans are uncertain at this stage.
Skryne’s Darragh Campion, who missed the earlier part of the league, came on as a substitute against Cavan in a team that saw Shane McEntee partner Ronan Jones at midfield and Bryan Menton line out at wing forward.
Another injury casualty from the early part of the year, Seamus Lavin, can be expected to nail down one of the corner back position now that he is back fully fit.
With David Toner, Donal Keogan, Ronan Ryan and Brian Conlon all available, it might give James McEntee the opportunity to revert back to the forwards which will likely include Cillian O’Sullivan, Ethan Devine and Thomas O’Reilly.
The outcome of this one will be of secondary importance from a Meath viewpoint. However, the performance could tell a story.