Kildalkey can make brave bid for three-in-a-row

"I always say that you never know what a new year will bring - either for your own team or the opposition - and that applies however well you might have done in the previous season. While we tried to divert all talk of a three-in-a-row there's no doubt that preventing us from winning it became a big issue among the opposition, starting with our rivals in Wexford." The words belong to Brian Cody and are contained in his autobiography 'Cody' he wrote along with journalist Martin Breheny. He was referring to the start of the 2004 All-Ireland SHC when Kilkenny were chasing a three-in-row. They didn't achieve it, Cork beat them in the final, but Cody and the Cats came back stronger in future years. As Cody alluded to, achieving a three-in-a-row is a major achievement for any team - at whatever level they play at and as the Meath SHC is about to get underway it is Kildalkey who find themselves in that position. Reigning champions looking to make it three on the trot with opponents seeking to knock them off their perch. While Kildalkey showed in 2009 and 2010 that they are the best side in the county they are now required to move up to another level - and the evidence suggests they have the firepower, the experience, the talent, the nous to do just that. Kildalkey kick-start this year's campaign with a game against old rivals Kilmessan, the last team to achieve the three-in-row (2002, 2003, 2004). Prior to that you have to go back to the late 1980s when Trim powered their way to titles in 1987, '88 and '89. Eight clubs in Meath have managed to claim three or more titles in succession - the now defunct Navan Young Irelands (1903 to 1906) and Erin's Own (1930 to 1932) along with Dunboyne (1911 to 1914), Trim (1918 to '20, 1940 to '42, 1955 to '57, 1987 to '89), Athboy (1966 to '68), Kilmessan (1943 to '48, 2002 to 2004) Boardsmill (1973 to '75), and Killyon (1979 to '81). Kildalkey manager Pat O'Halloran will not be entertaining any talk among his players of another title. Instead, he will be trying to focus his players on winning the next game and taking it from there. The champions start out with their share of difficulties. Derek Doran, Padraig Geoghegan, Stephen Forde, Tony Fox, Sean Corrigan, Conor Dunne - just some of the panel members with injuries in recent weeks, although most of them should be available for the Kilmessan game. Definitely out is goalkeeper Gary McNally who has a back injury and he could miss the entire campaign. His loss will be huge for the champions with his long puck outs an extremely useful part of the team's strategy. Like all other managers, O'Halloran may have to deal with a much bigger threat than just injuries. Emigration has emerged this year as a major problem for clubs. Despite a large contingent of carpenters in their ranks Kildalkey so far remain relatively unscathed by the scourge. Others have not been so fortunate. Killyon have lost four regulars - Clayton Keegan, Paddy Ryan, Shane Mitchell and Ray McKeown who have all gone to pastures new. More could follow. To further compound their problems Ambrose Connolly and Mark Gannon have retired. "It will be a struggle this year, but we'll keep flying the flag," said a defiant Kit Mitchell. The Hill of Down side reached the quarter-finals last year, but a much more modest, and realistic, target this year could be to maintain their senior status. Longwood and Trim have suffered considerably by the loss of key personnel. When they finished last year's championship with a defeat by Kildalkey in the semi-finals Trim were seen as the next best thing, a young side bristling with promise. Manager John Andrews says all his plans for the months ahead have been severely disrupted - and not just because of the loss of players to foreign fields. He says the fixture schedule has made it impossible to prepare a side for the championship. Since the start of the year and up to last week he says he has only had two training sessions with his full squad, many of whom are also involved with the senior football team. He points out how this weekend there will be a full round of football fixtures literally days before the SHC gets underway. He is particularly annoyed with the fact that the start of the championship was brought forward a week, giving him little or no time to prepare. Others such as Gaeil Colmcille have the same issue and they are not happy about it. Kiltale will set out to try and shake off their semi-final hoodoo. In the last three years they have reached the last four only to be halted there. Sooner or later they will take that extra step. Kilmessan will be among the favourites for the Jubilee Cup despite the fact that some of their stalwarts of recent times are now in the veterans stage. They have more or less the same panel. Even without players such as Neville Reilly, who is focusing on athletics, and Paul Gannon, who has hung up the stick, Dunboyne should be a big threat. They have enough talent emerging from successful under-age teams of recent years to compensate for the loss of such talented performers. Na Fianna, Navan O'Mahonys, Drumree and Gaeil Colmcille look strong enough to retain their status, at least. However, a depleted Longwood may lose their battle to stay in the senior grade although Killyon also look destined for a relegation dogfight. Overall Kildalkey appear to have what it takes to make it three-in-a-row, although they won't need people like Brian Cody to remind them just how difficult it can be to achieve such a feat.