BOYLAN TALKS SPORT Thankfully your DNA doesn’t change

When you watch as many true crime programmes as is the case here, phrases like DNA, swabs, fibres, and molecular sized particles tend to roll off the tongue a bit easier than for those who may not be as au fait with the genre.

The one thing that even somebody with absolutely no knowledge of what is a highly complex subject area, will nonetheless be aware of is that to every being on planet earth their DNA is absolutely unique to them. An unquestionable identifier which no blood test, x-ray, MRI scan or herd test can contradict.

In sporting terms, certainly from an Irish perspective, DNA can often be ascribed to entire ‘tribes’ of people. As in, it’s taken as read that the Irish produce the best National Hunt jockeys in the world, Duke University is a known conveyor belt for NBA stars and the city of Stoke is synonymous with producing darting doyens.

Bring it back to local matters and, to employ another basketball comparison, there’s definitely a modicum of the former North Carolina State coach, the late Jim Valvano’s famous speech from 1993, the epicentre of which was the line “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up” woven into the Meath GAA DNA.

How many examples does one need? Kevin Foley’s goal in 1991, Jody Devine's day in ‘97, the Ollie Murphy rescue act against Westmeath in ‘01 or Graham Geraghty’s helicopter mission against Louth the following year, where he was Meath’s best man before flying back to Wexford to resume playing the same role at a wedding!

Thankfully, your DNA never changes. Yes, Conor Duke’s dramatic winner with literally the last kick of the game against Westmeath on Sunday last absolutely belongs in the pantheon of magnificent Meath manifestations of Valvano’s striking mantra.

Now, mentally at least, cognisance of how things play out in the modern world of GAA allows for thoughts of nothing being impossible. Notionally at least.

However, even with the last droplets of whatever Meath-ness is, if not the team circle itself, the most devout of Royal subjects must have thought Lazarus had missed the bus for them this time around.

Eh, no. Not only did he come up with his own bus timetable, he got a police escort to the sideline in Cusack Park in Mullingar. Arriving just in time to hold up Keith Curtis’ long ball for just long enough for the again outstanding Conor Duke to grasp and bury it beyond Conor McCormack in the Westmeath goal and keep his side’s most unlikely drive for promotion well alive.

Meath revelled, Westmeath raged. But on mature recollection, it will only be with themselves. Neither Meath nor referee Barry Judge kicked their 12 wides compared to four at the other end. Nor was it they who let five point leads slip twice. Or failed to keep three players back. Thus conceding the free which ended up being Eoghan Frayne’s equaliser.

And it was neither of the aforementioned parties who backed off expecting their opponents to just tap over a point when the magnificent Duke did what every kid is told from when they are old enough to kick a ball - play the whistle. In other words, don’t stop until you hear one. Or, in this case, a hooter!

My understanding of the rule - and I am in no way claiming to have full confidence in my view - is that, when a scoring opportunity has accrued, play is entitled to continue until the ball goes dead.

Patriotic hysteria aside, though, it would have to be said that Meath skated thin ice to the greatest extent during Robbie Brennan’s tenure thus far. Mostly in that gut feeling was that the Royals had not built up a big enough buffer when leading by 2-8 to 0-9 after playing with the aid of the considerably blustry climatic conditions.

The goals coming via a piece of individual brilliance from Jordan Morris and, when his attempt at repeating the trick dropped short, Adam O’Neill was the most unlikely of benefactors when blasting to the net with the last kick of the first half.

Inclination that the chasm wasn’t going to be enough seemed to be regrettably accurate as a spurt of scores from Luke Loughlin and Danny McCann wiped it out completely in what felt like jig time.

Yet there was something either in the air or the Meath psyche which enabled them to keep a short head clear of their hosts via scores from Morris, Jack Flynn, Frayne and Bryan Menton.

Until a ghost from football nightmares past, former Lake County captain, Kieran Martin, entered the fray and sent tremors through our ambitions again when raising another green flag.

But again, the resolve and ingenuity of Brennan’s players peaked when needed most. As Jack Flynn and Frayne got them back to parity before the Curtis and Duke duet saw them top the charts.

It is not over stretching reality to opine that Meath have already over achieved in this league campaign, but, that in itself at least allows for the inclination that anything achieved from here would be considered bonus territory. Then again, if those boneses are available, why not go for them.

I’ve no doubt our lads will indeed do so, and, with confidence rather than cockiness, I am very hopeful that the lads will indeed grasp the prize up for grabs and attain promotion.

Regardless of how the remaining matches pan out though, with the hurlers, lady footballers and camogs also still in competitive positions at the time of typing, there’s a feelgood factor there to keep the wheels turning until the clocks go on and our u-20 footballers begin the defence of their title.