Meath ready for defence of Leinster

Never before has the Royal warrior spirit been more needed than next Sunday when Meath will begin the defence of their Leinster SFC title with a tough quarter-final clash against Kildare at Croke Park, 2.0. With all the furore that has surrounded Meath football in the last two weeks, one major detail seems to have slipped most peoples minds, and that is that there is a football match to be won. The controversies of Graham Geraghty's return to the panel and Liam Harnan and Barry Callaghan's subsequent resignations from the management team have taken centre stage, but all the while the Meath players have been quietly going about their business and preparing for what is sure to be a make-or-break game for manager Seamus McEnaney. McEnaney is renowned for making big decisions and the move to bring Geraghty back into the Meath fold is one of his boldest to date. It has been touted as the biggest decision of his managerial career and if it proves successful he will be regarded as a genius. However, what defines success for this Meath football team? After such a horrific, and at times embarrassing, NFL Div 2 campaign Meath will take a win over Kildare as the first major step on the road to redemption, anything after that would be a bonus. However, that is easier said than done. The memories of the NFL Div 2 campaign will not go away. The deplorable performances when capitulating against Antrim, Donegal and Derry will live long in the memory. The sole win over Sligo will hardly inspire confidence, but what Meath must draw on were the positive displays shown against Kildare in Newbridge and Tyrone in Navan. The loss to Kildare was papered over by a performance that had more commitment, heart and resolve than what was perviously shown and when Meath found another level against Tyrone to rescue their Div 2 status with a draw, there was renewed optimism in amongst the Royal supporters. That confidence has been dulled again by the latest shenanigans. The national spotlight has once again shone brightly on Meath, but for all the wrong reasons. Now it is down to the players to deflect attention back onto the field and there have been glimpses that they are capable of doing that. The challenge win over Galway was a boost to the belief that Meath are still a threat. It may only have been a challenge match, but by all accounts Meath produced a performance that was near what will be necessary to secure a win over Kildare next Sunday. Maybe everything is coming together at the right time and all the controversy surrounding the panel may serve to galvanise the players and make them more determined than ever to prove their quality as players and not just pawns in a game being played out in the national spotlight. McEnaney explained away the problems in the league by referring to injuries to key players such Graham Reilly, Kevin Reilly, Cian Ward and others. He also had to plan without Stephen Bray, who missed the entire league campaign due to his honeymoon, but now the manager has an almost full deck to play with. His preparations have been hindered by the loss of Eoghan Harrington to injury and by the withdrawal of Cormac McGuinness from the panel due to work commitments, but the manager is pleased with the work ethic of his panel and he is confident that everything is falling into place ahead of the championship summer. Over the last few years Meath's strength has been their attacking options, but during the league they struggled to make an impact. An adjustment in the style of play and the absence of key personnel made life difficult for Meath, but as the players have had more time to adapt to the system and others are returning to full fitness all the pieces are gelling together. The return of Bray is sure to be a major boost and with Joe Sheridan, Shane O'Rourke, Cian Ward, Brian Farrell, Graham Reilly, Paddy Gilsenan, Paddy O'Rourke, Jamie Queeney, Ian Davis and Geraghty all adding considerable power to the forward line, McEnaney has options. Queeney has been deployed as a half-back in recent challenge matches and he is versatile, as is team captain Seamus Kenny. It will be that adaptability that will be crucial in taking down Kildare. Brian Meade has established himself alongside Nigel Crawford as the best midfield pairing and they will secure plenty of possession, but it is in defence where Meath might be limited. The goalkeepers position is not a problem with Brendan Murphy still one of the finest in the country. However, there are concerns in all the other positions and Kildare will look to exploit weaknesses. Kevin Reilly's injury concerns make him a worry for the full-back role and with Chris O'Connor dropped from the panel, Harrington unavailable and Shane McAnarney carrying an injury, McEnaney has had to adopt two new corner backs, most likely to be Gary O'Brien and Caoimhin King. Neither player covered themselves in glory in their new positions in the league and their man-marking abilities have to be questioned especially when they could find themselves up against Johnny Doyle, James Kavanagh or Eamonn Callaghan. It is unclear if Kenny will fill a forward or a defensive role and if he is pushed up the field then Meath could well start with a very inexperienced half-back line. The troublesome centre-back position became even more of a worry following the withdrawal of McGuinness, but McEnaney has trusted Bryan Menton throughout the league and he is likely to get the nod. Mark O'Sullivan and Ciaran Lenehan impressed in their few appearances so far this year and will make a push, but if they do start it gives Meath a very inexperienced look along a crucial line. Kildare have a game under their belt which will stand to them, although their victory over Wicklow will hardly strike the fear of God into the Meath players. The unimpressive style of their win over Wicklow will give Meath hope. The Lilywhites will have the psychological edge following their All-Ireland SFC quarter-final win over Meath last year and their league success in Newbridge in March, but attention has been deflected from the Meath players in the last few weeks and they will be eager to slip in under the radar and shock Kildare. The Meath team for Sunday is - Brendan Murphy; Gary O'Brien, Kevin Reilly, Shane McAnarney; Seamus Kenny, Bryan Menton, Ciaran Lenehan; Nigel crawford, Brian Meade; Jamie Queeney, Shane O'Rourke, Graham Reilly; Stephen Bray, Joe Sheridan, Cian Ward.