Ethan Devine is selected to start against Wexford in enniscorthy today.

McEntee names strong side for trip to Wexford

Published: Sat 5 Jan 2019, 5:59 AM

From the side that lost to Longford in the last round only Gavin McCoy, Graham Reilly and Niall Hickey retain their places in the starting line for Meath's O'Byrne Cup clash with Wexford at Enniscorthy today.
However, 12 of the team that started the Sean Cox Fundraising SF Challenge victory over Dublin are named in the starting 15 for the 'winner advances' game in Enniscorthy, 2pm.
The only changes from the team that started the 0-16 to 1-11 victory over Dublin sees McCoy and Hickey come back into the side, while Darragh Campion is also expected to start after limping out of the Dublin game during the warm-up.
The mathematics are simple ahead of the trip to Enniscorthy on Saturday - beat Wexford and Meath are through to the O'Byrne Cup semi-final, any other result and they are out.
The opening round hammering of Laois rendered the second round loss to Longford in Ashbourne inconsequential as the midlanders aren't in Meath's group, but with Wexford securing victories over Louth and Laois, Meath must now beat the Yellow Bellies to join them on four points and go through on the head-to-head rule.
If the results of the games against Laois are to be used as a gauge for predicting an outcome of Saturday's clash then Meath should have the edge on Wexford as the Slaneysiders only managed to beat Laois 2-13 to 1-11, compared to Meath's 3-11 to 0-6 victory a couple of weeks earlier.
The SF challenge victory over Dublin before Christmas will have given Meath a major confidence boost and while Wexford are sure to provide a tough test, Meath should have enough quality to get them into the last four.

The Meath team to face Wexford - Andrew Colgan; Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill, Ronan Ryan; Gavin McCoy, Donal Keogan, Niall Kane; Bryan Menton, Adam Flanagan; Ethan Devine, Darragh Campion, Niall Hickey; Graham Reilly, Michael Newman, Thomas O’Reilly. Subs - Mark Brennan, Shane Gallagher, Thomas McGovern, James McEntee, Shane Glynn, Eoin Lynch, Seán Tobin, Ben Brennan, Cillian O'Sullivan, James Conlon, Barry Dardis.

FIXTURE FOCUS

SATURDAY 5th JANUARY
Enniscorthy - Wexford v Meath, O’Byrne Cup, 2pm.
SUNDAY 27th JANUARY
Navan - Meath v Tipperary, NFL Div 2.
SATURDAY 2nd FEBRUARY
Ballybofey - Donegal v Meath, NFL Div 2.
SUNDAY 10th FEBRUARY
Navan - Meath v Armagh, NFL Div 2.
SATURDAY 23rd FEBRUARY
Cork - Cork v Meath, NFL Div 2.
SUNDAY 3rd MARCH
Navan - Meath v Kildare, NFL Div 2.
SATURDAY 16th MARCH
Ennis - Clare v Meath, NFL Div 2, 2pm.
SUNDAY 24th MARCH
Navan - Meath v Fermanagh, NFL Div 2.
SUNDAY 12th MAY
Navan - Meath v Offaly, Leinster SFC first round.