Andy McEntee

Two changes for Rebel exam

Adam Flanagan in for James McEntee and Ethan Devine for Cillian O'Sullivan are the only changes for Meath ahead of tonight's NFL Div 2 clash with Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn, 7pm.
James McEntee picked up a hamstring injury in UCC's Sigerson Cup semi-final victory over NUI Galway last week and missed his colleges' final victory over St Mary's Belfast on Wednesday night.
Clonard midfielder Flanagan is named at right-half-back, but is unlikely to feature there with Shane McEntee most likely to revert to the half-back line in a straight swap with Flanagan IF manager Andy McEntee decides to stick with the team announced this morning.
Another alternative at wing-back, should Andy McEntee decide to keep Shane McEntee in midfield after he had performed well in that position in all three league outings, would be to bring in Dunboyne's Gavin McCoy or Longwood's Eoin Lynch who are both natural half-backs.

MATCH PREVIEW
Beware the sleeping giant and don't poke an angry bear. 
Cork might not seem like the force they once were or even could potentially be, but nothing is surer than they will relish the visit of Meath to Pairc Ui Rinn on Saturday and will be determined to put one over their old foes once again.
Second only to Kerry in terms of their greatest rivals, there is no team Cork love to stick it to more than Meath - and with just cause too.
Four of Meath's seven All-Ireland SFC successes have come at Cork's expense - 1967, '87, '88 and '99. The Rebels gained a measure of revenge with victory in 1990, but there is a strong love-hate relationship there.
Hate is a strong word, but in footballing terms there is certainly no love lost between the two sleeping giants who are currently playing second fiddle to Kerry and Dublin.
While neither are close to the heights they once were there is still an intense rivalry there and that was evident when the sides clash in Pairc Tailteann last year when Cork emerged from a scrappy, edgy affair that threatened to spill over on a couple of occasions with a convincing victory.
Just a year earlier Meath had thrown away a decent lead and had to settle for a draw in Pairc Ui Rinn, so no matter what the form book suggests when Meath and Cork go into battle almost anything can happen.
On form alone Meath should be expecting victory in Cork next Saturday night.
The Rebels are in disarray. It seems everything is up for ridicule these days with the redeveloped Pairc Ui Chaoimh overspend, the state of the pitch at the new ground and the unveiling of their proposed strategy that questioned where their 'Corkness' had gone?
On the field of play Cork have managed just one point from their three league games and are propping up the table following losses to Kildare and Clare.
Cork have scored just 2-25 in their three games. Contrast that to Meath who have notched up 2-42 in their two wins over Tipperary and Armagh and a loss to Donegal.
There is not much between the sides in the 'against' column with Cork just a point a game worse off, but there is a sense that while Meath's journey back to the top has got off to a fine start, Cork have stalled in the traps.
Despite their one draw from three games Cork are still just three points off the top and such is the nature of this ultra-competitive NFL Div 2 that a couple of wins on the bounce could put them back in the hunt and they will take solace from that position going into the Meath game.
However, Meath have been boosted by three excellent performances in succession. Over the last decade Meath's lack of consistency has been their downfall, but there is a sense they have found some rhythm and if that can be maintained then promotion is a real possibility.
However Meath would be foolish to look any further than next Saturday's clash with Cork. The Munster men have lively attacking threats in Luke Connolly, Ian Maguire, Michael Hurley, Ruairi Deane and half-back Stephen Cronin and while their scoring returns have been low they will be eager to put that right.
Meath will need to be vigilant in defence and if the full-back line of Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill and Ronan Ryan can maintain their impressive early season form then the Royals will have the perfect platform to kick on.
Shane McEntee has impressed at midfield, while James McEntee and Niall Kane have offered outstanding attacking support from wing-back. However Meath will now be without the injured James McEntee.
Strength-in-depth is something Meath have developed over the winter and next Saturday the likes of Cillian O'Sullivan, Graham Reilly and Mickey Burke could be crucial to supplement the early work of Mickey Newman, Darragh Campion and Thomas O'Reilly.
It won't be easy, but Meath have to believe they can get the job done in Pairc Ui Rinn and maintain their push for promotion.


Meath (v Cork) - Andrew Colgan; Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill, Ronan Ryan; Adam Flanagan, Donal Keogan, Níall Kane; Bryan Menton, Shane McEntee; Ethan Devine, Ben Brennan, Darragh Campion; Bryan McMahon, Michael Newman, Thomas O’Reilly. Subs - Marcus Brennan, Michael Burke, Gavin McCoy, Shane Gallagher, Graham Reilly, Eoin Lynch, Barry Dardis, Cillian O'Sullivan, James Conlon, Sean Curran, Daniel Quinn.