A cautious approach will serve Meath well on Sunday
The old ones are the best. The old jokes that is, although if over-used even the best of them can start to wear thin.
There was no shortage of wisecracks conjured up after Louth lost out to Meath in the 2010 Leinster final.
There was the one floating around about how Joe Sheridan joined the ranks of those who had scored a ‘try’ in Croke Park after the stadium was opened up to rugby three years previously.
That old chestnut was wheeled out again to this correspondent during the week in Navan. It came from a Louth man and was said, of course, in jest.
The big Wee County supporter delivered the line with a loud laugh; although it was doubtful he saw the funny side seven years ago when Tyrone referee Martin Sludden sparked a madcap few minutes when he declared Sheridan’s controversial goal to be legal and in so doing scuppered Louth’s hopes of landing a Leinster crown for the first time since 1957.
Seldom can the home of the GAA have resounded to such bewildered anguish as was expressed by the jilted Louth supporters that afternoon - and few could blame them. They must have felt like someone who finds his lotto numbers have come up only for a thief to steal the golden ticket.
It’s inevitable that when the two counties meet in the championship, memories of that crazy afternoon will be dredged up and re-examined.
Sometime, somewhere Louth will surely get it right against their old rivals and when you speak to Meath manager Andy McEntee it’s clear he is very anxious about Sunday’s showdown. However, the evidence suggests Meath can maintain their winning ways against their good neighbours again on Sunday - just.
Meath beat Louth in the Leinster SFC last year, but as far as McEntee and his players are concerned that game might has well have taken place in medieval times. It’s history, long forgotten. In the most recent meeting Louth defeated Meath in the O’Byrne Cup semi-final only four months ago by 1-14 to 0-10, but even that has only the remotest connections to Sunday’s showdown.
As McEntee himself hinted at during the Meath GAA press briefing for this Leinster SFC quarter-final, the O’Byrne Cup and even National League games are very different animals to the kind of intensity that will be whipped up in Parnell Park next Sunday.
Louth have undoubtedly shipped a big blow in the way the richly talented Derek Maguire stepped away from inter-county football for this summer, opting instead to travel to the USA.
However, Colin Kelly’s side have had a good year so far. They comfortably achieved promotion from NFL Div 3 title defeating last year’s All-Ireland semi-finalists Tipperary (0-16 to 0-12) on the way. Granted, Tipperary did storm back to win the final at Croke Park (3-19 to 0-19), but the fact that Kelly has managed to achieve two successive promotions is a clear indication the team is moving in the right direction.
They have in Tommy Durnin a very good ball winner around the central section while in attack Louth will look to smart, pacy forwards such as Eoin O’Connor, Ryan Burns and Bevan Duffy to inflict damage.
It was noteworthy that in the 1-19 to 1-14 victory over Wicklow in the first round at Parnell Park last Sunday week that 10 Louth players got on the scoresheet. Burns bagged six points (four frees) while man-of-the-match O’Connor hit 1-2 with backs Padraig Rath and Conal McKeever bombing forward to get scores. Another feature of the Louth set up - one that will rightfully concern McEntee - is the quality of the substitutes they have to call on.
Jim McEneaney and St Mochta’s star man Declan Byrne are just two very capable players who came off the bench against the Garden County.
Meath’s quest to move up to NFL Div 1 was scuppered by a maddening inconsistency with low-wattage performances against Kildare and Down countered by encouraging wins over Derry, Galway, Fermanagh and Clare.
The draw in Cork was a mixture of the good, bad and downright ugly.
Behind by nine points at one stage, the Royals showed plenty of spirit to finish level (1-15 to 0-18) but the quality of their play for long stretches was well below what was required.
Their combined total of 17-167 notched up in their league campaign suggests Meath have a cutting edge as sharp as a razor while the concession of 7-139 indicates they are vulnerable to opponents capable of scoring from distance.
Top scorer Donal Lenihan (4-32) is starting to show he can be a big player at this level. He is a free-taker also, but he has yet to show if he can consistently translate frees into scores in high-pressure situations. That points towards a problem Meath have had for some time now - a regular, consistent place-kicker.
Brian Power, Cillian O’Sullivan, James Toher and Conor McGill are others making a name for themselves at this level while Donal Keogan, Bryan Menton, Graham Reilly, Bryan McMahon, Eamon Wallace, Donnacha Tobin and Mickey Burke form an experienced core of players who have been there, done that when it comes to representing their county.
Plenty of experience, leadership, self-belief, composure and skill and much more besides will be needed to overcome Louth on Sunday - and Meath will be hoping a victory can be achieved without any of the madcap antics we witnessed on that day in Croke Park seven years ago when controversy reigned.