SFC Final Preview: Geraghty delighted to get another shot at the Keegan Cup

Summerhill have suffered more than most. They have lost out in four of the last six SFC final. For most mere mortals that would he soul destroying, character exploding, for most there would be no way back.

However, Summerhill don't do self-pity. Instead they are probably the strongest willed club in the county and their determination to keep coming back and ability to get to final after final proved outstanding character.

Captain Padraig Geraghty doesn't buy into the theory that each final defeat knocks destroys another little bit of Summerhill's soul, instead he, and the team, are of the philosophy when you get knocked down you simply get back up again.

"We have a real good group of players. We have 30 or 35 lads who are all good mates and we are all pretty close. We enjoy going down training and we understand we are in a privileged position," insisted pragmatic Geraghty.

"Every club goes through lean times when they mightn't have the talent available to compete at the top, but we have good numbers and good ability at the moment, and we have done for the last seven or eight years, so it's just about trying to get the max out of ourselves.

"Hopefully this year it will be good enough to get us over the line.

"We are a tight knit bunch. Most of us have been on the road for a good few years. It is a natural progression that when we were beaten in finals we had a few good nights out afterwards and then it's not too long goes by until lads start asking when can we get back training.

"We really enjoy playing football, that's the bottom line of it, so there has never been an issue getting us back down to the pitch."

Despite losing those finals there is no deny Summerhill are one of the top teams in the county and over the last 10 years they are probably the most consistent.

Geraghty accepts that there was an expectation on Summerhill to be competing at the very top again this year. He credits a strong league campaign that blooded more players and an exceptional management team for guiding them back to the Keegan Cup final. "When we set our stall out at the start of the year the aim was to be still involved at the business end in October, so this is the time of the year that gets you through those tough sessions out on the back pitch slogging away in January and February," said the captain.

"Thankfully we've managed to get through the group and then get a couple of good wins in the knockout stages. We are delighted to be here and we're really looking forward to the final now.

"We have had a decent league record over the last few years and that is testament to the squad depth that we have.

"We have probably used 23 or 24 lads in the championship this year and then we have another six or seven who would have got a lot of decent game time in the league.

"They are still training well and they are ready to take some spots if they get the chance, so that's what is making it so competitive.

"Every line on the field we have four or five lads going for positions, so it is that squad depth that is really driving us. The league was a big help in bring those lads on.

"The lads (the management) are massive. They set an unbelievably high standard in terms of the time and effort they put in.

"All the players have massive respect for them. We are blessed to have them. Everything is pretty much laid out on a plate for us when we land down to training.

"Everything is planned impeccably and the lads have great football knowledge. They know Meath club football inside out and they are really forward thinking tactically.

"It is an enjoyable brand of football that we are playing which helps, but it is the work that the management team put in that inspires us to try to match that."

While Summerhill coasted through the group stages they had to dig deep into their reserves of character and quality to emerging with victory over Donaghmore/Ashbourne in the semi-final and Geraghty knows that Ratoath will pose even tougher questions next Sunday.

"You can't beat that feeling of winning a really tight tough championship match. It (the semi-final against Donaghmore/Ashbourne) wasn't pretty to watch I'm sure, but those games that go down to the wire are the most satisfyingly to win and we will be banking that feeling going forward. "The team has to show a lot of character to be able to get over those type of really tight games.

"Ashbourne really put it up to us in the semi-final. Our backs were to the wall at half-time when we were a couple of points down, but we managed to dig it out.

"No small part of that was down to the impact off our bench and the role they played when they came in.

"The final against Ratoath will be a massive battle. We know each other inside out at this stage. We have met in the championship near enough every year for the last four or five years.

"They are a really strong side, they have big names all over the pitch and they have a really strong panel as well, so it will be a massive challenge, but it is one we are really looking forward too," concluded the captain.