No excuses from captain Kenny
November 27, 2011
Meath captain Seamus Kenny isn't making any excuses for a year that yielded just three competitive victories.
While there's a perception that the Meath players were left psychologically scarred by the fallout from last year's Leinster final, Seamus Kenny doesn't think this was so and refuses to use it as an excuse for the Royal County's shortcomings in 2011.
Admitting that it was a "disappointing and frustrating year" for all concerned, the straight-talking Meath captain says: "It would be a copout if we were to use what happened last year as an excuse. There wasn't a hangover, bad karma or whatever you want to call it. We just didn't play as well as we would have liked and that's the bottom line."
Kenny also refuses to blame the furore surrounding Seamus McEnaney's appointment as manager as an excuse.
"We were under the spotlight more than usual because of Seamus being Meath's first 'outside' manager, but I wouldn't use that as an excuse either. A manager can only do so much and it comes down to the players at the end of the day. It's up to them to perform."
When Kenny looks back on his first year as captain, his biggest regret is Meath's failure to build on last year's progress.
"It didn't go according to plan," the Simonstown clubman ruefully reflects.
"We didn't achieve either of our two main goals which were to get promoted from Division 2 of the National League and retain our Leinster title. We struggled for form - we couldn't put two good performances back-to-back. It's hard to put your finger of why things didn't work out, especially as training went well all year."
The records show that Meath won only three competitive games in 2011 against Sligo (in the National League), Louth and Galway (both in the All-Ireland qualifiers). Kildare knocked them out of both the Leinster championship and All-Ireland qualifiers, while the Lilywhites were also one of four teams (Laois, Donegal, Derry and Antrim were the others) to register league wins over 'Banty' McEnaney's under-performing side. Despite those losses, the Royals avoided the unthinkable prospect of being relegated to Division 3 thanks to a draw with Tyrone in their final game.
"We should never have found ourselves in a relegation dogfight," contends Kenny, whose experience, tenacity and enormous appetite for work makes him one of Meath's most important players.
"We should have got something from the Antrim and Kildare games. We threw away a six-point lead against Antrim and also allowed Kildare to wriggle off the hook in Newbridge. We were very disappointed with how we played against Donegal and it wasn't nice to hear supporters describing our performance as 'heartless'.
"But I can tell you that every player gave 100 per cent that day and that it was just a case of us coming up against a team who have since proved themselves to be one of the best around."
Kenny admits that Kildare were a major thorn in Meath's side this year.
"It's bad enough losing to a team once, but to lose to them three times in the space of three or four months was very hard to take. All three games were close, but Kildare always seemed to finish that bit stronger. We were bitterly disappointed with our second half display against them in Croke Park because retaining our Leinster title had been a massive aspiration for us.
"And I'd say our defeat in the All-Ireland qualifier game was one of the hardest I've ever had to come to terms with. When we got level in the second half, we had chances to go ahead but didn't take them and we paid a high price for that in the end. There were thousands of Meath supporters in Navan that night and I was so disappointed for them because we've always prided ourselves on our home record and how difficult we are to beat in Pairc Tailteann."
Many commentators felt the game's turning point was the loss of Kenny to a head injury just moments before his direct opponent and roving Kildare half back Emmet Bolton scored the clinching goal with five minutes remaining. However, the Simonstown clubman is far too modest to acknowledge so.
Of course, it wasn't all doom and gloom for Meath in 2011. Cian Ward's astonishing haul of 4-3 lit up the All-Ireland qualifier win over Louth, while the Royals also accounted for bogey team Galway, albeit in unconvincing fashion.
Billed beforehand as a 'grudge match', Meath's defeat of Louth was hugely satisfying in light of the widespread criticism they had received for not offering the Wee County a replay of last year's Leinster final.
"It was nice to win, and to win well, but I think the media and the supporters had more of an issue with what happened last year than the players," says Seamus, who was the victim of an alleged gouging incident after the ill-fated provincial decider.
"Contrary to what some people may think, there is no animosity between the Meath and Louth players, and I would have always had the height of respect for Louth. My dad (Paul) is a Dundalk man and played for the local Gaels club before going on to manage the Louth seniors for three years in the 1990s.
"I used to tag along with him when he was going to training sessions and matches, and I would have probably known more about Louth football than Meath football at that time."
Despite Meath's failings this year, Kenny believes they remain a match for most teams and takes particular encouragement from the emergence of talented youngsters such as Ciaran Lenehan, Mark O'Sulllivan and Brian Menton.
"I don't think we're too far off the mark, but for some reason we didn't kick on from the last few years when we were contesting All-Ireland quarter-finals and semi-finals. Seamus McEnaney has brought through a number of good young players and I don't think he has got enough credit for that.
"He also made a brave call by bringing Graham Geraghty out of retirement and that had a positive impact on the rest of the players, even though his comeback was cut short-lived. Graham has a serious knee injury, which will not be easy to come back from, but he's a natural athlete and I wouldn't be surprised if he was seen in a Meath jersey again.
"All that we can do now is take time out, take stock of things and see where we go from here. Obviously, we hope to do a lot better next year and prove that we are a better team than we showed this year."
The holder of two Leinster SFC medals (2001 and 2010) as well as a National League Division 2 medal (2007), Kenny was privileged to lead the Royals out in the season just past.
"Being handed the captaincy was a massive honour for myself, my family and my club," he explains.
"When you're younger, you aspire to captaining your club, but this was a step above that. Maybe Seamus (McEnaney) felt sorry for me because I've been on the panel since 2001 and had never got to captain the team! Seriously, though, it was a great experience and I'd like to think that I showed a bit of leadership and gave it my best shot."
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