Minors can advance

STILL some way to go in the 2008 All-Ireland MFC campaign. A lot of football to be played, many issues to be decided, but already Meath can be confirmed as the 'Comeback Kids". Repeatedly, the Royal County young guns have clawed their way out of difficult situations in the championship this year. Against Longford they were five points down with 12 minutes to go and seemingly on the ropes. Against both Dublin and Offaly they found their way out of sticky situations to win the day, confounding their opponents by digging dip and hitting back with the knock-out blow. Now, with the provincial title in the bag, the serious business starts with an All-Ireland quarter-final clash against Tipperary. Pat Coyle and his selectors will be hoping that this time Meath won"t have to rely on one of those late surges along the rails. He will want to see his charges complete the job without any last-gaps dramatics. It"s not good for the nerves of those who have to watch from the sidelines. There was a time when a Meath football team at minor or senior level would go into a game against Tipperary as red hot favourites. Times have changed and now Meath front up against the Premier County as slight favourites at best. The Munster side have shown considerable form in their Munster campaign. They defeated Waterford (3-9 to 0-8) and Limerick (2-8 to 0-9) on their way to a Munster final where they took on the Kingdom. The young Kerry side, as expected, ended up with the provincial crown. What wasn"t expected was just how hard they would have to work for it with Tipperary putting up a stiff challenge in the first game at Pairc Ui Caoimh. At the final whistle the sides were level, 1-9 apiece. In the reply Kerry moved up a few gears for a 2-12 to 0-8 victory. Football in Tipperary is undergoing something of a mini-revival with the senior team having secured promotion from NFL Div 4 this year and the minors through to the All-Ireland quarter finals. There was a time when football, and not hurling, was king in the Premier County. Arravale Rovers won the 1885 All-Ireland SFC title for the Premier County, defeating Navan O"Mahonys in the final by 0-4 to 0-3. Tradition is being maintained with Arravale Rovers continuing to supply players to county teams and there is a sizeable contingent on the current Tipperary minor panel. Other well known and long-established football clubs who are represented include Clonmel Commercials and Fethard. Tipperary are captained this year by Conor Sweeney who is regarded as one of their 'main men" and who appears to have the qualities to punish frailties in opposition defences. Alan Moloney and Peter Acheson are considered a strong midfield partnership well capable of mopping up loose ball from the breakdown. Robert Kiely at centre-back is another who has impressed this year. The team is managed by Philip Ryan. He soldiered for many years as the goalkeeper on the senior county team along with Brian Burke, one of the selectors. The Meath manager admitted after the win over Offaly that there were aspects of his team"s display that needed work and no doubt there has been a lot of advice dispensed on the training pitch over the past few weeks. He pointed to the tendency of the team to collectivey 'fall asleep' at times during games, making life more difficult for themselves. The defence caused a lot of concern among the Meath management for large chunks of the Leinster final until remedial and effective action was taken when Sean Curran moved to full-back and Ciaran Lenehan to left-corner-back. It will be of some concern to the management that goalkeeper Padraig Curran was one of the team"s top performers against the Faithful County. The Dunboyne netminder also made a crucial save against Longford. Throughout the championship the Meath selectors have swapped and switched players around in search of answers to the various questions that have cropped up in each game. The management deserved praise for their impersonation of Red Adair - they have reacted to crisis situations with speed and efficiency. So far their solutions have worked and the manner in which players such as Paddy Gilsenan have come off the bench to perform well indicates a desired strength in depth. Having had two players - David Ryan and Lenehan - sent off earlier in the campaign, Meath"s discipline needed some remedial work. The required 'adjustments" appeared to have been made with no cards of any hue picked up against Offaly. Also the Faithful County were given precious few opportunities to add to their account with frees from close-in. And on the subject of comebacks. How about Ryan"s return to the team to snatch the dramatic winner against Offaly after he was forced into temporary exile by the dismissal against Dublin? It was a return to the limelight that had a touch of Roy of the Rovers about it. Inevitably there are some injury concerns for Coyle ahead of the Tipperary game with Willie Carry having picked up a hamstring injury in training. One or two others are also carrying knocks. There is little doubt there is a sturdy, resilient spirit within individual Meath players and the team as a whole. Many of them have come up through the ranks from u-14 level and are willing to put the shoulder to the wheel as a united force. They should generate enough momentum to defeat Tipperary and book their place in the All-Ireland semi-final. Meath (probable) - Padraig Curran (Dunboyne); Stephen O"Brien (Ratoath), Ciaran Lenehan (Skryne), Sean Curran (Donaghmore / Ashbourne); Enda Nulty (Round Towers), Tommy Johnson (St Martin"s), Donncha Tobin (Blackhall Gaels); Jamie Owens (Nobber), Damien Carroll (Ballinabrackey); Darragh Smyth (Bective), Michael Newman (Round Towers), Mark Collins (Duleek / Bellewstown); Andrews Tormey (Donaghmore / Ashbourne), Harrison Silke (Na Fianna), Mark Battersby (St Vincent"s / Curraha).