Royals get ready to rumble with old rivals after Louth victory

While it has lost much of its competitiveness in recent years a Meath v Dublin championship contest will always have a special resonance about it and the two sides are due to meet again in the Leinster SFC semi-final on Sunday 26th June.

Meath’s ‘reward’ for carving out a 0-20 to 1-13 victory over Louth at Parnell Park on Sunday was a chance to take on the reigning All-Ireland champions on another big day at Croke Park.

Meath supporters will travel to that game with some trepidation as Dublin look once more to be the team to beat in Ireland and they will go into the Meath game as red-hot favourites.

Meath's nervousness will not be soothed in any way by the fact that Donnacha Tobin had to leave the pitch on Sunday with a foot injury and, at the time of writing there was a question mark over his fitness. 

Mick O’Dowd’s troops warmed up for the meeting with Jim Gavin’s side against Louth and there were encouraging aspects of their display that Meath supporters will look towards for reassurance ahead of the Dublin game.

Cillian O’Sullivan produced a storming display with his pace causing huge problems for the Wee County defence. Eamonn Wallace was another who scorched past the red jerseys at regular intervals with his pace also causing big difficulties for the opposition.

Michael Newman was Meath’s leading marksman although he didn’t score from play with six of his points coming from frees and one from a ‘45.’ Wallace ended up with four points while Andy Tormey and Graham Reilly both tagged on three apiece. Impressive debutante Cian O’Brien also helped himself to a point.

Padraic Harnan and Donal Keogan were others who had big games for Meath who looked to be cruising to a comfortable win against Louth only to concede a late Jim McEneaney goal and revive unpleasant, fleeting memories of last year’s championship collapse against Westmeath.

Over the coming week or two O’Dowd will be hoping his players stay clear of injuries as they seek to find a way to defeat Dublin who last suffered a defeat in Leinster to Meath in 2010.

Dublin have already started their Leinster SFC campaign defeating Laois a few weeks ago by 2-21 to 2-10 at Nowlan Park.