BOYLAN TALKS SPORT: Not a time for black and white analysis

If somebody not au fait with the current lie of the land in GAA saw the results involving the three Meath senior teams over the weekend, they would most likely summarise them thus: Senior hurling - sharpshooter Jack Regan saves the day; Senior football - goals win games; Ladies Senior football - see previous. However, now is not the time for such black and white, simplistic analysis. For a variety of reasons.

In chronological order of their occurrence, in the case of the senior hurlers, they are beginning life under a new regime with Johnny Greville. But also with a raft of new personnel owing to usual stalwarts like Charlie Ennis, James Murray, Eamon Og O’Donnchadh, Gavin McGowan and Shane Whitty among those currently out of the picture.

However, it didn’t take long for a few returnees to make their mark. Namely, Cian Rogers and Jack Regan. Life under Greville got away to a choppy start as Donegal netminder Luke White netted a penalty and followed up with a point.

Soon though, Rogers announced his return by grabbing possession, embarking on a powerful solo run before rifling a bullet to White’s net, which was a critical element in the Royal County eeking out a 1-7 to 1-6 half time lead.

As with when the sides met previously, the men from the north west were admirable in their obduracy as points from Brian McIntyre and Gerard Gilmore appeared to have what would have been considered an unlikely away win in the kettle just waiting to come to the boil.

But, as is so often the case, it was an iteration of ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’ as Regan - who was absent from the scene last year - let off a volley of three shots which took the Royal County from two points in arrears to the winners’ enclosure.

Thereafter, thoughts turned to our men footballers who were themselves beginning a new odyssey under Robbie Brennan against Cork in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. And it all began rather blissfully as points from Mat Costello, Jordan Morris, Jack Flynn and Eoin Harkin had Brennan’s brigade going toe-to-toe with their hosts.

That said, it appeared John Cleary’s side were going to take a slender lead into the turnaround until the Rebels were deemed guilty of an infraction of one of Gavin’s new stipulations, offering Costello the opportunity to take the 5/2 outsiders to the change of ends deadlocked.

Mind you for all the shiny newness which permeated the weekend’s football action, it was very much a case of an old reliable, Matty Taylor, going on what is now a trademark canter before planting a rocket beyond Billy Hogan in the Meath goal.

Giving the locals a buffer they would never completely forego, though impressive ripostes from custodian Hogan, the colossus Costello and the upwardly mobile Harkin again restored stalemate before some of those ‘Inches’ Al Paccino famously spoke of went against those chasing salvation.

Not just because Hogan’s manful efforts to keep out a Chris Og Jones goal attempt, but also because Meath’s own efficiency deserted them at the worst possible time.

In that, where Cork converted two two-point efforts, Meath’s only such strike came in the dying embers of the contest when the horse had long bolted.

Still, out of a long standing need to accentuate the positive from a given situation, any day a team kicks 0-21 they’re doing something right. That said, you obviously wouldn’t want to be conceding 2-19 too often.

On that, though, it can probably be fairly safely assumed that a big part of Joe McMahon’s brief as part of the backroom team will be to inculcate a structure within the rearguard of such stifling efficiency that attention can be diverted on an overload - to employ modern vernacular - to extract maximum value from the two point zone. Every day’s a school day at present. Lessons will be learnt. We go again.

Elsewhere, over a weekend where the weather made kicking points, in particular, very difficult indeed, where the adage about goals winning games went against our menfolk down in Cork, it was crucial for the ladies in their defeat of Tyrone. A brace apiece thereof by Kerrie Cole and the introduced Michelle Collins propelling Shane McCormack’s team to an impressive 4-4 to 0-2 success in Newtownstewart.

A victory which takes on even greater significance in the context of Armagh’s victory over Kerry in Tralee. Onwards and upwards hopefully. To add a bit to Willie Nelson’s famous line, it’s good to be on the road again!