Meath can extend a winning sequence

These days are the stuff of dreams. Never in their wildest imagination could any Meath supporter have realistically expected to still be involved in the All-Ireland SFC race on the last Sunday in August. That is the magnificent situation Eamonn O'Brien and his Meath footballers find themselves in as they prepare for the biggest game of their lives, so far, against Kerry at Croke Park for a place in the All-Ireland SFC final against Cork for the first time since 2001. Ironically, eight years ago, Kerry stood in the way of a final spot and on that occasion Meath were also massive underdogs to achieve an unlikely victory over the Kingdom. Form was turned on its head that day and Meath supporters will be hoping for more of the same. Any expectation of a similar outcome to 2001 can be instantly dismissed. That memorable semi-final performance produced a whopping 2-14 to 0-5 win for Meath and if anyone believes that the Royals will have it as easy this time around then their dreams will turn to nightmares. It appears that no matter where you turn these days all the talk is about Kerry. Everyone is discounting Meath's challenge as merely a troublesome fly that needs to be swatted out of the way by the giant paw of the powerful Kerry grisly bear. It is that type of perception that sits well with the Meath management and players. Immediately after the awesome win over Mayo in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final O'Brien and some of the players were already talking up Kerry and saying how difficult it will be against them. There is nothing like luring a foe into a false sense of security, but there is also no point in approaching a game with a defeatist attitude either. It is with a firm belief in the quality and commitment at his disposal that O'Brien's team can make life very difficult for Kerry and with a small bit of luck to complement the magnificent talent then a 'shock' win could be on the cards. Would a Meath win REALLY be a shock? When you consider Kerry's passage to the last four, and leave their superfluous victory over an woefully inept Dublin aside, they have been anything but convincing and some might say they are lucky to be still involved. The Munster SFC semi-final draw with Cork in Killarney showed the first cracks in the armour of the pre-championship favourites and for many it was no surprise that the Rebels won the replay with a comfortable 1-17 to 0-12 victory. The Kerry weaknesses were obvious. The absence of Kieran Donaghy severely dented their attacking threat, Darragh O'Se looked beyond his best and at the back Kerry appeared fragile. The subsequent 1-12 to 0-11 All-Ireland SFC qualifier win over a poor Longford side that had lost to Wicklow in the Leinster SFC did little to paper over the cracks. Kerry had raced into an early lead against the Midlanders, but almost capitulated in the second-half as they managed just two points. The relief of the 0-14 to 1-10 win over Sligo was obviously so over-whelming and unbelievable for some of the Kerry players that they felt the need to celebrate with a few drinks and risk the wrath of manager Jack O'Connor. The manager obviously got wind of the word about the 'celebrations' and immediately relegated star men Tomas O'Se and Colm Cooper to the bench for the qualifier against Antrim. Things weren't going Kerry's way in that contest and O'Connor was forced to play his star hands as they struggled to a 2-12 to 1-10 win over the Ulster finalists. That form did nothing to change the over-whelming view that Dublin could finally end a 32-year wait for a win over the Kingdom, but the sight of a sky blue jersey and the smell of Croke Park brought out a ruthless streak in Kerry and they were awesome in the quarter-final. Their excellent start, with a goal from Cooper inside 36 seconds, put the game beyond Dublin and the level of performance subsequently was one of the finest ever witnessed at Croke Park. So just which performance is the real Kerry? It might be safe to venture that Kerry are somewhere between their first game against Cork and their last outing against Dublin. If they get off to a great start then they are capable of running amok, but if they struggle to press home during their periods of superiority then they are vulnerable There aren't any surprises when it comes to knowing what to expect from the Kerry men. They have talented players in every department and great ability waiting in the wings. The return of Mike McCarthy has been a huge boost to their defence and if Donaghy recovers from injury then he will add to their attacking prowess. Meath are well aware of Kerry's strengths, but all they can do is focus on their own game. After quietly negotiating their way through the qualifiers outside of the glare of national television it suddenly became the view of every 'expert' that Meath have great scoring forwards and some superb individuals. However, regular watchers of the Meath team will point more to the collective than the individual. Meath's successes this year have come from hard work, determination and hunger. In that mix there have been several outstanding individual performances, but mostly the recent form is down to team work. For Meath on Sunday, another great team display is necessary. Every man from one to 15 needs to be at his best. Midfield will be a crucial area and if Brian Meade and Nigel Crawford win clean possession or break the ball to players like Seamus Kenny, Peadar Byrne, Cormac McGuinness and Caoimhin King then there is no doubting the ability of the forwards. Stephen Bray has long proven his pedigree, while his brother David has grown in stature. Cian Ward and Brian Farrell have room for improvement and if that quartet hit top form then Meath can cause a shock. While the attacking threat is vital to the Meath cause it is at the back where players like Anthony Moyles, Eoghan Harrington, Chris O'Connor and Paddy O'Rourke need to be alert. If Cooper, Donaghy, Darren O'Sullivan, Paul Galvin and Tommy Walsh can be restricted, then maybe those dreams of playing football in August can be extended to September.