Meath bid to end nine years of frustration

Recent history hasn't been kind to Meath and although past results and the form book count for nothing when it comes to championship football Eamonn O'Brien's troops will have to be wary of the threat that Laois will pose at Croke Park on Sunday. A place in the Leinster SFC semi-final is the prize that awaits the winners of Sunday's game between Meath and Laois, but just as importantly it offers the Royals an opportunity to erase the memory of the last two championship meetings with the O'Moore County side. A Leinster SFC semi-final loss in 2004 and a heart breaking All-Ireland SFC qualifier defeat in 2006 is sure to be at the back of the Meath players' minds ahead of Sunday's showdown, but these are different times and both counties have contrasting fortunes. Since that 2006 defeat Meath have been in two All-Ireland SFC semi-finals, albeit through the back door, while Laois have made little or no impact on either the provincial or qualifier scene. The most recent marker that could indicate how things might go came in March when Meath edged out their Laois visitors in NFL Div 2, but O'Brien's side were far from impressive that night and a repeat of that performance will spell certain defeat. Laois have improved significantly since then. They followed their reversal against Meath with a four-point victory over Kildare and although they lost their final game to NFL Div 2 finalists Down their position was secure and the opted to experiment. Laois did finish below Meath in the NFL Div 2 table, but an analysis of their results suggests that it could have been much different had they enjoyed a little more luck. Apart from the 15-point mauling by Donegal in round two, Laois's aggregate scoring from their other six games was plus nine points. They lost to Down by two points and Meath and Armagh by the minimum margin. Victories over Kildare, Westmeath and Tipperary were achieved with four, seven and two points to spare respectively and while Meath were fortunate to come out on the right side of narrow victories, Laois can consider themselves unlucky to fall on the wrong side of marginal results. Those performances should ensure that Meath are not complacent. Laois have proven that on their day they are capable of beating any side and as Eamonn O'Brien has already re-iterated Meath will have to be at their best to stand a chance. Returning to Croke Park is sure to be a boost for Meath. Although the Royals have not recorded back to back wins in the Leinster SFC since 2001 they still call GAA HQ their spiritual home and the wide open spaces should suit Meath's attacking options. It was the form of players like Cian Ward, Joe Sheridan, Shane O'Rourke and Stephen Bray that lit up the victory over Offaly in the first round and O'Brien will be hoping that that trio can find their groove again. If enough scoring opportunities are created then Meath will punish Laois, but it is at the back where they will have to wary as Laois have the potential to destroy any frailties the Meath rearguard might possess. Offaly proved that with two dangerous corner-forwards that they were capable of causing Meath problems and Laois will bring more firepower to the table and that could spell trouble for an extended defence. O'Brien will be hoping to have Kevin Reilly and Cormac McGuinness back in contention. The return of the O'Mahonys pair would be a significant boost and would allow others return to their more natural roles. Anthony Moyles and Mickey Burke were deployed out of position against Offaly and both men had their hands full. The extra pressure exerted by Offaly ensured a torrid afternoon for Eoghan Harrington and Chris O'Connor, but with a more stable defence Meath should be able to hold Laois. Laois will look to Donal Kingston, M J Tierney and Brian Sheehan to exploit the perceived weaknesses in the Meath rearguard, but what they might not account for is the stability that the inclusion of Reilly and McGuinness will offer. While much is expected of the vaunted Meath attack, victory may actually hinge on how well midfield and defence play. Nigel Crawford was inspirational against Offaly and has been one of Meath's most consistent performers over the last few years. O'Brien is unlikely to change Crawford's midfield partnership with Mark Ward, but with Brian Meade excelling in club action the temptation is there to add extra strength around the middle. Resorting to their strongest six defenders will be key. If Meath can snuff out the attacking threat Laois will undoubtedly pose and provide plenty of ammunation to their talented attackers then back-to-back victories in Leinster for the first time since 2001 is very much possible.