Meath on precipice of disaster

The most disastrous run of form in recent Meath footballing history will reach a telling conclusion next Sunday when Ulster SFC champions Tyrone come to Navan for the final game of a shocking NFL Div 2 campaign. The scenario is simple. Meath must avoid defeat against Mickey Harte's in-form Red Hand side and also must hope that both Antrim and Sligo lose their respective games against Derry and Kildare. Even if that was to be the case, Meath must also hope that Sligo lose to Kildare by more than two points because with a minus 11 scoring difference in comparison to Sligo's minus 9 the Royals are in a poor position. A victory mightn't even suffice for Seamus McEnaney's beleaguered troops. If Meath win and either Sligo or Antrim are victorious then Meath will be relegated to Div 3. Their destiny is out of their hands. That shouldn't have been case. Last Sunday Meath defied the odds and produced an impressive performance to build a 2-5 to 0-9 half-time lead despite playing into the teeth of a strong wind against Derry. However, a capitulation of catastrophic proportions ensued after the resumption as Derry took control and Meath managed just one score from play and slumped to a 3-8 to 1-18 defeat. The nature of last weekend's collapse does not bode well for Sunday. McEnaney described the second half as "the most disappointing half-hour of football I have ever managed a team for", but he was also at pains to express that he believes his panel still have what it takes to "get themselves out of the hole they are in". Expecting a victory over Tyrone is almost as far-fetched as expecting either Sligo or Antrim to cause an upset next weekend and so the likely outcome for Meath is that they will ply their trade at the unacceptable level of Div 3 in 2012. Such a prospect should spark some sort of passion in a lacklustre Meath outfit. Devoid of passion, hunger and commitment for so long in this campaign, Meath need to rediscover the Royal resilence that once made the county the most feared in Ireland. Meath need to find a resolve that other great sides from the county have shown down through the years if they are to succeed. Tyrone will come to Navan in prime condition. After a slow start to the league they have put themselves in with a shout of winning promotion and so they will have everything to play for. Last week's 0-13 to 0-5 win over Kildare indicted their rising form and with Brian Dooher making his return Meath are sure to find the going tough. As if things couldn't get any worse for Meath on the injury front, McEnaney was dealt another blow with the news that Jamie Queeney could miss a couple of months after breaking a bone in his ankle in training on Tuesday of last week. The signs are onimous and the future looks bleak unless there is a dramatic change in fortunes.