BOYLAN TALKS SPORT: Work to do but the glass is still half full

Let's get the ugly business out of the way first. The four game unbeaten run has come to an end. In all honesty, that such is the case wouldn't be that big of a shock.

It is beyond question that Meath have made significant progress thus far this season. Winning four games on the spin is evidence enough of same. It's a long time since we achieved such a thing. Not to mention clocking up a couple of wins on the road.

Of more significance, though, in my opinion at least, is the moulding and emergence of new(ish) troops like Billy Hogan, Sean Rafferty, Conor Duke and Jack Kinlough. Not to mention the re-integration of more experienced infantry such as Seamus Lavin, Eoin Harkin, Jack Flynn and Bryan Menton.

However, what some observers have been either oblivious to or are wilfully ignoring is the swathe of front rank troops the new management have had to at least partially if not totally do without throughout the campaign to date. Including but not limited to Ronan Ryan, Ronan Jones, Mat Costello, Conor Gray and Sean Coffey and, I think it would be fairly widely accepted both within Meath and without that, such is the class of Costello alone that being short of his services would be a fatal blow to most teams ambitions on a given day.

Thus, the results achieved in the absence of some of those listed above definitely count as positives, yet, events of Sunday last illustrate that, while there remains much work to be done, the glass is still very much half full with regard to the development and evolution of this group of players.

Essentially, the outcome on Sunday last boiled down to the fact the visitors converted six two-pointers as opposed to Meath’s three as the 12 points which accrued from them were basically the winning of the match for the Farney men.

To their credit, Meath got away to a fast start with points from Jordan Morris and Eoghan Frayne but, while not in any way seeking to detract from the efforts of Jack Flynn and/or Bryan Menton, a fair appraisal would have to conclude that Gary Mohan and Micheal McCarville had the better of the aerial exchanges. That, in turn, allowed the white and blue half forward duo of Stephen O’Hanlon and Micheal Bannigan cause the Meath rearguard no end of problems.

With the result that, after a plethora of two-pointers, a goal from bustling full forward Andrew Woods gave the visitors a whopping and scarcely believable 1-20 to 0-8 half time lead.

However, reverting to a need to latch onto whatever morsels of positivity can be attained from a given situation, Meath’s last score of the first half, a classy effort from Jack Kinlough gave a glimpse of what these players are capable of when the ball breaks for them.

It was even more on show when, immediately after the break, Royal skipper Frayne got on the end of a great move to palm the ball to the net.

To a certain extent, the green and gold dominated large phases of the second half as Morris, Frayne and substitute Ruairi Kinsella (two two-pointers) gave the scoreboard a slightly better look but the reality is that the damage was well and truly done prior to the short whistle.

Still, I would reiterate my contention after the Cork game when they registered 0-21 that, if you are scoring as freely as Meath currently are, you’re always giving yourself a chance of achieving your desired outcome.

Conversely, though, at the highest level, depending on whether you want to emulate Al Pacino or Paidi O Se, it’s the ‘Inches’, the “F*****g grains of rice” that tip the scales one way or the other.

As the late and loved publican from Ventry put it to Alan Mangan - who last year led Castletown-Geoghegan on quite the run in the Leinster Club SHC - “No Westmeath man is to get f****d out over the sideline like a sack of spuds again Alan, is that clear? No more”!

Now, there were at least two Meath players summarily defenestrated from the playing arena in ways which wholly warranted frees kicks that never came. And, as bad as that was, at a time when the locals - on and off the field - had their dander up, referee Anthony Nolan overruled the line umpire and reversed what was blatantly a Meath ball. So obviously a wrong call was it that the two match officials could be seen animatedly debating.

However, there was one factor which Monaghan had in their favour which no amount of new rules or contentious calls from officialdom had any influence on - experience.

Not only in terms of the Ulster side having spent seven consecutive seasons in Div. 1, but also having the luxury of being able to bring in experienced heads like Kieran Duffy, Darren Hughes and, in particular, Jack McCarron off the bench. In contrast, only Donal Keogan and Bryan Menton have anywhere near commensurate inter county mileage.

Experience, though, is accumulated in the midst of a journey. To be still in what a shout for promotion heading into the final round? Glass definitely half full.