Big challenge for Meath footballers

More than 24 weeks have elapsed since one of the most disappointing days in Meath football was played out at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick in the an All-Ireland SFC first round qualifier. And almost eight months have elapsed since Meath last won a competitive game, that was by 1-25 to 0-6 against Carlow in the Leinster SFC. Next Sunday, a new-look Meath side will return to action when they take on Westmeath in the O"Byrne Cup at Pairc Tailteann, 2.0. This may only be the O"Byrne Cup, but it is a huge game for Meath football and a real test of the amount of genuine support which exists for the team. Saturday, 19th July is a date that will live long in the memory of the many Meath supporters who travelled to the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. There, they witnessed Meatch facing a 20-point deficit against a Limerick side that were not considered to be in the same league as the Royal County. The reality check was humiliating for all concerned, but now that defeat must be consigned to the rubbish bin. The great thing about football is that there is always the next game to banish bad performances and memories, but unfortunately Meath have had to wait almost six months for a chance at some rehabilitation. There have been many changes in those six months. Meath saw their stock plummet ever further with the debacle that surrounded the appointment of Eamonn O"Brien to replace Colm Coyle, but now is the time to look forward, starting with Westmeath on Sunday. Victory is not paramount for O"Brien and his new backroom team of Robbie O"Malley, Donal Curtis and Colm Brady. What is necessary is application and commitment and if Meath were to lose to Westmeath it wouldn"t be the end of the world. There is a bigger picture for 2009. With no collective training allowed before the turn of the year, O"Brien will have difficulty in selecting his first 15, but experimentation must be the theme of the day and fringe players will be given an opportunity. Over 40 players have been issued with training programmes and according to the coach, Simonstown clubman Colm Brady, all have applied themselves impeccably and some have discovered that they are not as fit as they should be for inter-county fare. That type of attention to detail is exactly what Meath football requires. There has been a thin line between success and failure over the last 18 months. Having gone from an All-Ireland SFC semi-final and wins over Galway and Tyrone in 2007, Meath found themselves surrendering a 10-point lead against Wexford in the Leinster SFC and were then humbled by Limerick in the qualifiers in 2008. It has been a strange time for Meath football. However, O"Brien and his selectors are hoping that this attention to detail will edge Meath towards the success side of that thin line. 'There are a lot of encouraging signs for Meath football if you tap into the positives, which is what I always try to do,' Brady told the Meath Chronicle. 'We were very competitive two years ago, so much so that everybody was talking about Meath and there was a huge interest generated again. 'Unfortunately, 2008 didn"t work out as well. We played some fantastic football against Tyrone in 2007 and a year later they were All-Ireland champions, so we have plenty to be hopeful about,' he suggested. This year"s cause is not helped by the retirements of Darren Fay and Graham Geraghty, but then nobody should have expected that those two legends could go on for ever. O"Brien needs to create new legends and he certainly has the ingredients to find another winning formula. Stephen Bray was one of the country"s most exciting attackers in 2007. With his rising stock he was well marshalled in 2008, but he is capable of becoming a thorn for most sides in 2009. His brother, David, is one player who is expected to feature in O"Brien"s set-up. The younger Bray is an amazing talent and while he lacks the experience of his elder sibling, there is no doubt that he has the skill, passion and commitment to match his big brother. If anything can be taken from the disaster that was 2008, then O"Brien will be hoping that the experience gained by players like Brian Meade and Alan Nestor will be vital. Both players made compelling contributions during Coyle"s last year in charge and they will have learned from the experience. There is still the need for a solid backbone and O"Brien must settle on the spine of his team. Anthony Moyles, Kevin Reilly, Caoimhin King, Brendan Murphy, Joe Sheridan, Cian Ward, Brian Farrell and Stephen Bray are the men to bring Meath forward and the team needs to be built around them. While the Westmeath game will give O"Brien a chance to look at fringe players, he needs to get off on the right foot A decent performance will be vital against a side that recorded their first serious win over Meath in over 30 years in last year"s NFL. If Westmeath steamroll Meath then O"Brien will face an early test, but with so much experience to call on and a massive depth of talent to dip into that is unlikely. O"Brien will be hoping to create a winning habit with this Meath team and it might even start on Sunday. Shane O"Rourke, Kevin Reilly and Brian Sheridan are cup-tied to their college DCU for the O"Byrne Cup competition. The following players could be included on O"Brien"s first panel - Brendan Murphy, Mick Aherne, David Gallagher, Cormac McGill, Caoimhin King, Anthony Moyles, Cormac McGuinness, John Donegan, David Donegan, Brian Ennis, Stephen Kennedy, Maurice Kennedy, David Bray, Stephen Bray, Henry Finnegan, Niall McKeigue, Barry Regan, Shane McKeigue, Mark Ward, Eoghan Harrington, Cian Ward, Brian Farrell, Seamus Kenny, Shane McAnarney, Peadar Byrne, Joe Sheridan, Damien Sheridan, Stephen Sheppard, Jamie Queeney, Cathal O"Dwyer, Chris O"Connor, Alan Nestor, Brian Meade, Nigel Crawford, Paudge Howard,