Four debuts as McEntee names side for Longford test

Meath manager Andy McEntee will hand debuts to four players for Sunday's Leinster SFC quarter-final clash with Longford in Pearse Park, 3pm.
Donaghmore/Ashbourne pair Andy Colgan and Sean Curran will join Dunderry's Paddy Kennelly and St Colmcille's Ben Brennan as first time championship starters.
The Meath team shows one change from the side that started the O'Byrne Cup final victory over Westmeath two weeks ago with Curran coming in to replace Dunderry's Conor Dempsey at corner-back.

The Meath team and subs for Sunday's quarter-final is - Andy Colgan (Donaghmore/Ashbourne); Seamus Lavin (Dunboyne), Conor McGill (ratoath), Seán Curran (Donaghmore/Ashbourne); James McEntee (Curraha), Donal Keogan (Rathkenny), Shane McEntee (Dunboyne); Bryan Menton (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Paddy Kennelly (Dunderry); Cillian O’Sullivan (Moynalvey), Ben Brennan (St Colmcille's), Mickey Burke (Longwood); Bryan McMahon (Ratoath), Graham Reilly (St Colmcille's), Donal Lenihan (Dunboyne). Subs - Mark Brennan (Navan O'Mahonys), Conor Dempsey (Dunderry), Daniel O’Neill (Wolfe Tones), Cian O’Brien (Ratoath), Adam Flanagan (Clonard), Eamon Wallace (Ratoath), Joey Wallace (Ratoath), Thomas O’Reilly (Wolfe Tones), Luke Martyn (Dunderry), Shane Glynn (Wolfe Tones), Gavin McCoy (Dunboyne).

MEATH v LONGFORD PREVIEW

Any Meath supporter of a weak disposition intending to head to Pearse Park next Sunday expecting a comfortable Leinster SFC quarter-final victory over Longford would be best advised to stay at home.
History suggests Sunday's clash with Longford will be a cake walk for Meath, recent form hints otherwise.
This is going to be a major test of Meath's credentials and while progression in Leinster is still highly unlikely to lead to a Delaney Cup, the focus has to be on not slipping further down the rankings in a provincial competition that has become a one-horse race.
Dublin are going for their eighth Leinster SFC in succession, only Meath's win in 2010 has prevented them from making it 13-in-a-row, so aspirations of claiming a 22nd provincial crown for Meath are most likely pie in the sky.
Of course anything can happen and football is a funny old game, but let's face it Meath's sole ambitions from Leinster this year has to be victory over Longford, that is imperative.
In the past Meath have come unstuck against Longford before. In 1982 Meath suffered one of their darkest days when they lost out to Longford by 0-11 to 0-12 in Tullamore. That dark cloud did have a silver lining as it hastened the arrival of Sean Boylan as Royal manager and the rest is history.
However, that is all it is now - history.
Since the last All-Ireland SFC final appearance in 2001 Meath football has been in decline. There were the odd bright days in 2007, 2009 and 2010, but even in those years there were frustrating and disappointing performances that suggested Meath were no longer the force they once were.
The ladder needs to climbed again from the bottom and the first rung pits unheralded minnows Longford in the way and nothing can be taken for granted.
Meath supporters have first hand knowledge of Longford this year from the historic O'Byrne Cup semi-final way back in January when Meath emerged victorious following a first-ever free-kick shoot-out victory.
On that occasion Meath led by four points deep into injury-time before surrendering that advantage and being brought to extra-time and subsequent free-kick shoo-tout.
There were enough warning signs on that occasion to guard against complacency next Sunday, but even since that game both county's fortunes have taken different trajectories, albeit in differing arenas.
After a bright start to NFL Div 2 which saw Meath draw with Roscommon and defeat Clare, Andy McEntee's side hit the skids and produced worryingly sub-par displays against Cavan, Tipperary and Cork before rescuing their second tier status with wins over Down and Louth and in their final two games. 
Longford's Div 3 campaign ended in heartbreak with a one-point loss to Fermanagh denying them promotion in the last game of the campaign, but they will take great heart and confidence from their wins over Offaly, Derry, Wexford and Westmeath and the draw with Sligo that saw them finish on nine points, a tally that might have secured promotion in other years.
In recent weeks Longford have defeated Cavan in a SF challenge and their wait in the long grass has them poised like a coiled python waiting to pounce on any slip in concentration by Meath.
Meath's hit-and-miss league campaign and subsequent withdrawal of several players from the squad, including Sean Tobin, Harry Rooney, Brian Conlon and league second highest scorer Padraig McKeever, has to have dented confidence, while expectations amongst Meath supporters have been lowered significantly.
However, not significantly enough that they expect to lose against a Longford side that hasn't been in a provincial semi-final in 30 years and whose one and only Leinster SFC title was 50 years ago in 1968.
A bounce back to form in the O'Byrne Cup final win over Westmeath, despite playing most of the game with 14 players and finishing with 13 following the early sending off of Paddy Kennelly and late dismissal of Eamon Wallace, suggests Meath are priming themselves for a summer run.
Longford do have major threats and they will cause Meath problems, especially in their refurbished home at Pearse Park, but they also have injury concerns as they will have to plan without forward Sean McCormack and defender Ronan Sweeney. The versatile Barry McKeon is rated doubtful as is Andrew Farrell.
Players like Robbie Smyth and Rian Brady will stretch the Meath rearguard and their willingness to work hard until the final whistle ensures Meath cannot take their eye off the prize for even a second.
All things considered Meath should be too strong.
If Donal Lenihan can replicate his O'Byrne Cup final performance then Longford will be in trouble. The Midlanders scouts were in Cusack Park for Lenihan's star turn against Westmeath and they will be scratching their heads figuring out a way to curtail the Dunboyne man's off-the-ball running and superb accuracy.
However the Meath attack is not a one-man-show.
Cillian O'Sullivan is fast becoming a catalyst for Meath. A playmaker in the mould of Trevor Giles and a strong, potent and effective runner in the style of Graham Geraghty - those are some huge boots to be following in the footsteps of, but the Moynalvey man has it all.
If he is utilsed properly and there isn't a huge onus put on him and Lenihan to have to track back into defence then they will worry the Longford rearguard all day long.
By creating space and openings then others like Graham Reilly and possibly Bryan McMahon could flourish, while if captain Bryan Menton can secure decent primary possession around the middle then Meath will be on solid footings.
Defensively Meath have improved. The rearguard is no longer a seven-man stand. Meath tend to get everyone behind the ball when on the back foot and that is likely to be the case again on Sunday, but with the pace and power of the McEntee cousins Shane and James on the break they can counter attack to great effect.
Individually Meath certainly have a greater array of talent and if they can gel together as they did in the O'Byrne Cup final then a semi-final date with the Dubs should be on the cards.