Mick odowds focus on obyrne cup

Meath senior footballers will be in competitive action on Sunday when they travel to Mullingar to tackle hosts Westmeath in the first round of the O’Byrne Cup at Cusack Park, 2.0.

Manager Mick O’Dowd will be taking charge for the third successive year and has a panel of close to 30 players from which to select his starting 15.

It will be a hectic seven days for the players with a second round game against Longford scheduled for Navan on Wednesday (7th January, 7.30) and then on Saturday (10th January, 7.0) the third game will see the Royal County host DCU at Pairc Tailteann.

Sunday’s game will see Meath tackle a Westmeath side that could be low on confidence after a 2014 campaign that brought relegation from NFL Div 1 where they failed to win in seven outings.

Kildare man and former Laois boss Tom Cribbin has taken over the managerial reins at Cusack Park and speaking last week at a sponsorship launch by Renault, he outlined some of his concerns ahead of a first training session with the county panel.

“I was very worried about the lads after the year they had, but that changed after the first training session,” he said.

“We’ve played a few challenges since and I’d be very optimistic about what we can achieve, I’d be very disappointed if we were aren’t fighting for promotion, he added.

Recent challenges for Meath produced a victory against Longford at Trim and a narrow defeat by Monaghan at Meath Hill before Christmas with experimental team selections.

“Most of our injury worries are starting to clear up, Conor Gillespie and Eamon Wallace are back training and will feature in the NFL Div 2 while Davy Dalton is also back training,” O’Dowd told the Meath Chronicle.

Jamie Queeney is included in the panel for Sunday’s game.

 

O’BYRNE CUP PANEL

Damien Carroll, Nicky Judge (Ballinabrackey)

Tommy McCullen, Cian Mallen (Ballinlough)

Ciaran McConnell (Bective)

Neil Shortall, David Toner (Curraha)

Andy Tormey (Donaghmore/Ashbourne)

Andy Markey (Dunboyne)

Fergus Toolan (Dunshaughlin)

Liam Ferguson (Gaeil Colmcille)

Mickey Newman (Kilmainham)

Darren Brennan, Mark O’Sullivan (Moynalvey)

Jamie Queeney (Na Fianna)

Conor McHugh (Oldcastle)

Graham Reilly (St Colmcille’s)

Paddy O’Rourke, Harry Rooney (Skryne)

Donal Keogan (Rathkenny)

Mickey Burke (Longwood)

David Bray (Navan O’Mahonys)

Joey Wallace, Conor McGill (Ratoath)

Sean Tobin (Simonstown Gaels)

David Dalton (Summerhill).

Ruairi O Dowd (Walterstown)

FIXTURES
O'BYRNE CUP

Sunday 4th January - Westmeath v Meath, 2.00

Wednesday 7th January - Meath v Longford, Navan, 7.30

Saturday 10th January - Meath v DCU, Navan, 7.00

NFL Div 2

Sunday 1st February - Galway v Meath;

Saturday 7th February - Meath v Kildare;

Sunday 1st March - Roscommon v Meath;

Saturday 7th March - Meath v Westmeath;

Saturday 14th March - Meath v Laois;

Saturday 28th March - Down v Meath;

Sunday 5th April - Meath v Cavan.

Sunday 12th April - final.