Royals handed tough test in Tailteann Cup draw

Meath have been handed a tough draw in their bid to gain some compensation through the Tailteann Cup as they will face beaten Munster SFC semi-finalists Tipperary, Ulster last four team Down and struggling Waterford.

Colm O'Rourke's side will get their campaign underway with a home game in Navan on the weekend 13th/14th May against Tipperary and will follow that a week later with a trip south to take on Waterford, most likely in Dungarvan.

Meath's final game of the group 2 will be in a neutral venue, most likely Clones or Breffni Park, on weekend of 3rd/4th June against a Down side who will be eager to make amends for their disappointing showing against Armagh in the Ulster SFC semi-final last weekend.

Tipperary and Waterford already met in the Munster SFC with the Premier County side scoring a rather fortunate 3-9 to 1-1 victory over the Deise following goals from Steven O'Brien, Stephen Quirke and Paudie Feehan.

Waterford's dangerman will be Darragh Corcoran, while Jason Curry is another capable of posing a considerable scoring threat.

Tipperary's 'reward' for that win over Waterford was a provincial semi-final against a formidable Kerry and it was the All-Ireland SFC champions who cruised to a facile 0-25 to 0-5 win.

Down will harbour high aspirations of Tailteann Cup glory, but their 0-12 to 4-10 collapse against Armagh will be a worry as they failed to build on their Ulster opener against Donegal which they won 2-13 to 1-11.

The top team in each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals, while the four preliminary quarter-finals will consist of the second placed teams being at home against New York and the three 'best placed' third place teams in each group.

The three 'best placed' third-placed teams across the four groups shall be determined using total number of points, then if teams are level on points scoring difference will be used. If teams still cannot be separated the criteria will go from highest total scored, highest goals scored down to lowest goals conceded.

The knockout stages will be as scheduled: 10th/11th June - preliminary quarter-finals; 17th/18th June - quarter-finals; 24th/25th June - semi-finals; 15th/16th July - final

The groups are

GROUP 1

Cavan

Offaly

Laois

London

GROUP 2

Meath

Down

Tipperary

Waterford

GROUP 3

Limerick

Wicklow

Longford

Carlow

GROUP 4

Fermanagh

Antrim

Wexford

Leitrim