Better luck this time around for Meath

For the second time in a few months Meath hurlers find themselves preparing for a national final and this time around they will be hoping fortune smiles a little kinder on them. In early May TJ Reilly"s troops took on Kildare in the NHL Div 3A decider and on that occasion a combination of a slow start added to the ruling out of a late Peter Durnin 'goal" helped to consign the Royals to bitter defeat. The Durnin score that never was made up one of the chief talking points in a high-tempo encounter that unfolded under the warm early summer sun at Breffni Park. The Kiltale player"s strike was cancelled out for square ball and was, at best, a marginal decision. In the same game Nicky Horan was sent-off after receiving a yellow card. Even though Congress had decided to dispense with the experimental rules prior to the Div 3A final the old rules still applied and the Kilmessan man had to walk. Up to then Horan was having a fine game and his absence was felt in the Meath forward line. The scene shifts to Croke Park next Saturday for the Nicky Rackard Cup final and a joust against London, a team Meath defeated by a comfortable 1-20 to 1-7 in their last meeting in the spring of 2008. A lot has changed in hurling circles in the English capital over the past year with some clubs having doubled the numbers of players on their books, a direct result of the economic meltdown on this side of the water. London go into the game on the back of victories over Armagh (1-19 to 0-12), Roscommon (1-22 to 1-11) and Fingal (1-19 to 2-8). Meath side-stepped the challenge of Sligo (1-23 to 0-10), Louth (1-26 to 0-10) and Armagh (0-21 to 1-14). The fact that Armagh is the only team the two finalists have played may serve to show which side has a sharper cutting edge and if we take that as the chief criteria then it must be presumed London carry a more potent threat going into Saturday"s showdown. London defeated the Ulster outfit 1-19 to 0-12 while Meath only overcame the same opponents, 0-21 to 1-14. The fact that Meath had to dig deep to overcome Armagh may serve them better going into the final. After easy wins over Louth and Sligo the Royal County needed to be extended and they certainly were, at least in the second-half of the Armagh tie. Of course one of the big factors working against Meath on that occasion was the second-half dismissal of Stephen Clynch. It is still unclear what the outcome of the appeal against the red card will be. Over the past week or so Reilly and selectors Anthony Kirby and Brendan Fitzsimons have been planning for the final on the presumption that Meath will be without one of the most sumptuous talents to play hurling for the county in a generation or two. As a contingency plan Meath tried a number of options at midfield for last week"s challenge against Dublin side St Brigid"s, a game the county side won but not in an impressive manner. It is understood that the players feel Clynch"s dismissal was grossly unfair and if he is unable to take his place on the team it will act as a hugh motivation to win the final for him. There are other issues to preoccupy the Meath management in the lead up to Saturday"s contest including a persistent leg injury carried by Enda Fitzgerald. The Tipperary man"s experience and stubborn presence in front of goals would be a considerable asset. The Roscrea clubman was unable to take his place for the Armagh game and was replaced on the team shortly before the throw in by Conor Burke who did well. David Kirby, picked up a knee injury in the game against Armagh. The Na Fianna man is another doubt although he should be able to take up his position. Mickey Burke who turned out against Louth in the Nicky Rackard Cup has since opted to concentrate on earning a place on the football team. With Clynch likely to be out of the picture the Longwood player"s presence in the panel would be extremely useful. Another player who could have brought plenty of experience is David Crimmins who currently out of the country. London approach the final having already wrapped up the Div 3B NHL crown and they will look to players such as Corkman Martin Finn and Galway"s Niall Heaney to help them achieve the double. In the semi-final they trailed Fingal by two points before going on to win by 1-19 to 2-8 at Ruislip. Some measure of Finn"s threat can be seen in the way he clipped over 14 points against Roscommon. One of the most encouraging aspects of Meath"s NHL Div 3A campaign was the manner in which they chalked up significant wins over tough opposition. There was the 1-17 to 1-13 victory over Derry and the 0-16 to 1-12 defeat of Kildare in the group phase. The vast majority of the Meath team that will walk on to Croke Park for the final will not have any experience of playing at the ground. Mike Cole will be able to give some advice on what it"s like, he is one of the few connections between that team and the current panel having turned out against Offaly in a Leinster SHC in 1996. Having experienced defeat in a final already this year Meath will be anxious to avoid a similar fate. With a combination of skill and steely resolve - and a slice of good fortune - they may well be able to do just that.