OPERATION SURVIVAL

Royals refusing to throw in the towel in the fight against relegation as Keogan says players will battle right to the end

DONAL KEOGAN refuses to entertain thoughts of relegation as Meath remain pointless in Division One.

Last Sunday’s three-point loss to Kerry in Killarney, their fourth from as many outings, leaves the Royals well adrift at the foot of the table, with Donegal and Mayo their closest rivals on three points each.

With their remaining games against table-toppers Galway, All-ireland champions Dublin and Monaghan, it’s difficult to make a case for them avoiding the drop though Keogan remains defiant.

“I don’t think we are looking at that at all,” he says. “We are still saying, ‘Survival is the key, there are six points on offer there’.

“I think six points would probably be enough to keep you up. Obviously every game from no won is hugely important. After the Mayo game we were quite disheartened. We played well in Navan, and they got a goal towards the end, we didn’t have enough time to claw it back. We came a point short.

“Kerry, last weekend, we gave Kerry a one goal and five point lead after 15 minutes. You give any

Division

One team that, I think they will be licking their lips.

We got within three of them again, and were very lucky with a couple of goal chances saved by their keeper.

“There has been very little in it in terms of results. It’s nearly a few moments each game here and there that we’ve come out the wrong side of.

“You could nearly be looking at sitting on four points and you could be halfway up the league table.

“So there is very little in it at this level, just the moment that potentially changes the results.

“Going forward in the next few games we are just looking at trying to win those little moments, and potentially get wins.”

With Keogan having spent the vast majority of his Meath career in Division Two prior to this year, he notes how there’s a far bigger price to pay for losing possession in the top flight.

He admitted: “They’re just way more efficient with the ball. In Division Two, you could kind of afford to be a bit wayward in the final third.

“They wouldn’t break as quick or they wouldn’t punish you as quickly. I think that’s where we were getting caught a lot. So we’re working on that. We’re working on our efficiency in front of goal.”

Meanwhile, Andy Mcentee’s (inset) side look set to field a Galway man this Sunday, with Caherlistrane’s Oisin O’brien, now of Navan O’mahony’s, making his first League start for his adopted county against Kerry.

“I think he played a little bit of minor with Galway and now he is living in Meath and teaching in Dublin at the minute,” Keogan explained.

“He got his first start for Meath last weekend, and he put in a good shift.

“He got a chance, perhaps given we have so many injuries in the forwards.

“He is hard-working, skillful, so he fits well into the frame and he got his opportunity at the weekend.

“I think he did well for a guy that probably hasn’t played much inter-county football in the last number of years.”