Sunshine remedy to aid problems

As Meath's NFL Div 2 campaign limps to a sorry conclusion against Kildare next Sunday in Pairc Tailteann, Eamonn O'Brien prepared his troops for the bigger Leinster SFC test against Offaly in the sunnier climes of the Algarve in Portugal. Meath defied calls from the GAA President Christy Cooney to do their pre-championship training at home and joined the Kerry footballers in Portugal ahead of what should be a tough Leinster SFC opener on Sunday, 23rd May in Croke Park. O'Brien had hoped to use the training camp in Portugal for some of his players to get much needed intensive training and treatment to injuries, but he also was hindered with a couple of players sustaining knocks during the trip away. Even before they departed Meath were hit with the news that Niall McKeigue is likely to miss up to four months after rupturing his hamstring in the defeat to Donegal in Ballybofey. McKeigue is likely to be out of action until August and he will be joined on the sidelines by his club mates Cormac McGuinness and David Bray as well as Na Fianna's Ollie Lewis who all picked up or aggravated knocks in Portugal. McGuinness sustained a hamstring injury during the training camp, while Bray endured a recurrence of an old knee complaint. Lewis also suffered a problem to his hamstring and all three are unlikely to feature against Kildare on Sunday. O'Brien will also have to plan without Rathkenny's Brian Meade as he will serve a two month suspension following his dismissal against that will also rule him out of the Leinster SFC game against Offaly. Meade is also serving a one month ban from club activity, but he should be available for his side's SFC opener against Blackhall Gaels. "The whole trip went really well. We got a lot of work into the players and from what we were hearing about the weather at home we would never have got as much work done as we did in Portugal," O'Brien told the Meath Chronicle on Tuesday morning. "We got eight decent sessions into the players in the five days and the players also got to do plenty of gym work, while some of the injured lads got great intensive treatment. "The facilities at Browns were top class. Everything is available to you at the one site. "You can literally step from your accomodation onto the training facilities and we took full advantage of the whole place. "It was also great from a team bonding perspective. When we are training at home the players only get to see each other for a few hours every week, so to be able to get away, talk football and bond is a huge thing. "Hopefully the whole trip will be a hugely beneficial exercise. Only time will tell, but it certainly did us no harm and we got a huge amount of work done. "Sunday's game against Kildare will let us experiment a bit more and allow us blood a few players at this level of football. Our focus is totally on the championship now," concluded O'Brien.