There's been plenty of pessimism around the plains of Royal Meath as summer turned to Autumn and eventually to Winter. Easy to understand. But it's not all doom and gloom despite the championship losses to Laois and Fermanagh as well as relegation in the league. A closer look reveals that, with the exception of the league defeats by Wexford and Laois, the other losses could have been reversed and that include the championship games against both Laois and Fermanagh. The fact that Fermanagh went on to become the year's finest football story indicates that Meath were not all the far off the mark and it is not sour grapes to recall that as many as three of the refereeing/umpiring decisions in Enniskillen were quite scandalous. Fermanagh went on to beat Cork, Donegal and Armagh but there were no cries for Billy Morgan, Brian McEniff or Joe Kernan to stand down. The nucleus of a Leinster title-winning team is there…a handful of new players are needed and the pessimism may well prove to be unfounded. There were mixed feelings among supporters on the run-in to the first round of the championship against Wicklow at Croke Park. Relegation in the National League was certainly a downer, the performance in challenge match against Armagh at the opening of the Kiltale pitch was a genuine source for negative vibes and Joe Sheridan was suspended as was Graham Geraghty. Hank Traynor was injured and Cormac Sullivan and Nigel Nestor were both gone from the panel. And Meath and not won a game in Croke Park since the 2001 All-Ireland Semi-Final against Kerry. The only real plus was that Wicklow had never won a Championship game at headquarters. Their league form hadn't been bad…they finished 3rd behind Kildare and Down in Division 2B. Stephen MacGabhann of Navan O Mahonys was given his Championship debut at left-half-back with Tommy O Connor at centre-half-back. Anthony Moyles was at centre-field alongside Nigel Crawford while Trevor Giles was named at left-half-forward with Niall Kelly on the opposite wing. Meath led by 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time in what was a poor contest. But they were rocked by the increased intensity of Wicklow's approach in the early stages of the second half. The underdogs scored 1-2 in the space of just four minutes to take a two point lead and suddenly, Meath were struggling. The game changed again when Wicklow substitute Ciaran Clancy was sent off with just over 20 minutes remaining and his team failed to score again until the last few minutes. Meath took full advantage of their good fortune and goals from Daithi Regan and substitute Donal Curtis sent them on their way to a 2-13 to 1-8 victory. It was by no means an impressive performance and Wicklow had good cause to bemoan what was a harsh sending off. Daithi Regan finished as top scorer with 1-6 but lack-lustre was the best description of the display. Moves were afoot to have Graham Geraghty's suspension reduced and they eventually proved successful but a terrible performance against Mayo at the opening of Ratoath's grounds provided little cause for optimism. Leinster Champions Laois were the Semi-Final opponents and it although there was some optimism in the county it was nowhere near as much as in previous years. Stephen MacGabhann was ruled out by injury and his place went to Hank Traynor…otherwise the defence and centre-field was the same as for the Wicklow match. Seamus Kenny was chosen ahead of Niall Kelly at right-half-forward and the boost provided by Joe Sheridan's return was diluted by the absence of Shane McKeigue because of injury. Meath had slightly the better of the first-half exchanges with Nigel Crawford and Anthony Moyles winning a lot of possession at centre-field. Most of the broken ball was being snapped up by the challengers but by half-time Laois were on level terms at 0-6 apiece. There were a few signs however that Meath were struggling in a few positions…most notably in the half-back line where Hank Traynor and Tommy O Connor were being tested by Ross Munnelly and 'Beano' McDonald. And Meath should have been in a better position at the break. The switch of Padraig Clancy to centre-field had a major impact on the outcome and as had the introduction of the veteran Mick Lawlor to Clancy's starting place in the half-forward line. The scores were still level at 0-8 each with just over 20 minutes remaining but Laois grabbed the initiative and added 3 unanswered points. The champions were now firmly in the driving seat as the opposition faded and when Colm Parkinson found the net Meath were out of the Leinster Championship. The final score 1-13 to 0-9. Meath had failed to score from play the second half and were unable to take their chances at crucial stages of the game. Overall, Laois were the better team. No fewer than three of the starting forwards and two of the three half-backs were substituted. It was all so disappointing and Graham Geraghty's introduction in the 69th minute was difficult to comprehend. Fermanagh emerged as the qualifier opponents…they had been beaten by Tyrone in the Ulster Championship and had received a walkover from Tipperary in the first qualifying round. They had also beaten Meath in the previous year's qualifiers at Clones and they would have home advantage in Enniskillen this time around. Michael Daly of Mayo was named as the referee…he was the official involved in Limerick's controversial equalising goal in the National League. Trevor Giles was switched to the troublesome left-half-back position with Shane McKeigue returning to the attack. A huge crowd turned up at Brewster Park where the home team raced into an early 0-7 to 0-2 lead. Giles was struggling against Mark Little and it was largely through the efforts of Nigel Crawford at centre-field that Meath got back into contention. Daithi Regan was about to be substituted when he scored a superb goal after good work by both Evan Kelly and Shane McKeigue. Trevor Giles and Seamus Kenny switched places and Meath moved up a gear. Regan pointed again and followed it up with his second goal after a fine passing move involving Trevor Giles, Evan Kelly and Ollie Murphy. The St Michaels man was on target again before the break to give Meath a two point lead, 2-4 to 0-8. Although they hadn't played particularly well, the visitors had the advantage on the scoreboard and they still looked the better bet. Goal chances were squandered early in the second half and, as a result, Fermanagh's belief increased. Shane McKeigue was forced to retire with an injury and past the three-quarter stage Fermanagh reclaimed the lead at 0-13 to 2-6. Regan equalised … substitute Niall Kelly put Meath ahead and Ollie Murphy stretched the lead to two points. Urged on by their vocal supporters Fermanagh drew level again only for Regan to send over what looked to be the winning point. Joe Sheridan had a glorious opportunity to wrap it up from a free but drove the ball along the ground, not for the first time it must be said. His team paid the penalty when Darren Fay, under pressure kicked the ball out over the side-line. Colm Bradley kicked a miraculous point to send the game into extra-time, 2-10 to 0-16. There was an immediate sense that Fermanagh were the team with the momentum and so it proved They managed three points in extra-time while Meath's response was a point each from David Crimmins and Trevor Giles. The final score was 0-19 to 2-12. There was huge disappointment among Meath's large support and there was a great deal of anger with referee Michael Daly and his umpires. Two of the points registered by Fermanagh were certainly wide while Ollie Murphy had a valid point waved wide…a turnaround of three points! The Meath team, and scorers, was; David Gallagher, Niall McKeigue, Darren Fay, Mark O'Reilly, Paddy Reynolds, Tommy O'Connor, Trevor Giles (0-1), Nigel Crawford, Anthony Moyles, Evan Kelly (0-1), Charles McCarthy, Seamus Kenny (0-1), Daithi Regan (2-6), Shane McKeigue and Joe Sheridan. Substitutes; Ollie Murphy (0-1), David Crimmins (0-1), Niall Kelly (0-1) and Damien Byrne. And in extra time, Donal Curtis and Charles McCarthy. The first outing of the year was a trip to Dromard and an O'Byrne Cup clash with Longford. While the team could be described as experimental it still included the bulk of the previous year's panel. David Gallagher was between the posts…Anthony Moyles was tried at full-back while Stephen McGabhann, Brian Farrell and Joe Sheridan were the newcomers. Daithi Regan and Niall McKeigue were injured, Charles McCarthy was abroad, Graham Geraghty was suspended and neither Trevor Giles nor Darren Fay were available. Also taking up their positions for the first time were selectors David Beggy and Declan Mullen. They were Sean Boylan's surprise choices as successors to Eamonn O'Brien and Colm Brady. Beggy, a key figure in Meath's All-Ireland successors of 1987 and '88 had guided St Vincents to Junior 'B' Championship success in 2003 but Mullen, a former Oldcastle and County Junior star, had a much lower profile since injury had cut short a promising playing career. Longford had beaten Leinster Champions Laois in the first round but they were no match for Meath who ran out comfortable winners on a 0-13 to 0-6 scoreline. Adrian Kenny scored 0-3 from play while Joe Sheridan had a similar total from frees. Brian Farrell and substitute Brian Dillon each accounted for two points and the remaining scores came from Ray McGee, Niall Kelly and Evan Kelly. Cormac Sullivan announced his retirement…the former all-star had given outstanding service to the County Team and his departure certainly reduced Sean Boylan's options for the year. Pairc Tailteann was the venue for the Semi-Final clash with Offaly with the home team again showing significant promise in recording a five point win over their neighbours, 2-9 to 0-10. The goals came from Shane McKeigue and Joe Sheridan. Darren Fay was at centre-field alongside Nigel Crawford and Mark Ward was introduced as a second-half substitute And so to the final and a trip to Mullingar for another local derby against Westmeath. The home team were at the centre of enormous hype largely on account of the arrival of Paidi O Se as manager and Cusack Park was enveloped in a Championship atmosphere A record crowd of almost 15,000 turned up and the throw-in had to be delayed because of congestion at the turnstiles. All this on the 25th of January! Meath effectively won the game in the opening twenty minutes when they succeeded in breaching the opposing defence for two goals. Westmeath had opened brightly with two points from newcomer Paul Martin. A Niall Kelly goal attempt was blocked in the 11th minute but Shane McKeigue was on hand to bury the ball in the net. Meath missed a few chances before Niall Kelly scored a cracking goal to put the visitors firmly in the driving seat leading by 2-2 to 0-3. Westmeath managed to reduce the deficit to three points by half-time, 0-5 to 2-2, and within minutes of the re-start it was down to the minimum…the atmosphere was electric. With less possession Meath kept their opponents at bay and as the game drew to a close Westmeath's play became increasingly ragged. They missed several decent chances and in the end, it was Meath's greater know-how that decided the issue. The final score was 2-6 to 0-11. It was Meath's seventh O'Byrne Cup success overall and the fourth under Sean Boylan. Ray McGee had the well-deserved honour of being captain. The team on duty was; David Gallagher, Mark O'Reilly, Anthony Moyles, Donal Curtis, Seamus Kenny, Tommy O'Connor, Hank Traynor, Nigel Crawford, Darren Fay, Ray McGee (0-2), Shane McKeigue (1-1), Adrian Kenny (0-1), Brian Farrell, Niall Kelly (1-0) and Joe Sheridan (0-2). Substitutes; Niall McKeigue, Paddy Reynolds, Evan Kelly and John Cullinane. The National Football League got under way on the first Sunday in February with a slight tampering by the authorities. The perception had been that Division 1A had been substantially stronger than division 1B (Meath's group) and so Armagh and Galway were switched with Mayo and Fermanagh. Meath's opening game was against Galway at Pairc Tailteann and what a game it turned out to be! Galway got away to a fabulous start and led by 1-6 to no score after only 15 minutes. Despite scoring four points in the second quarter the home team still trailed by six points at half-time. However there had been signs that they were getting more and more into the game with Ray McGee in particular, as well as Brian Farrell and Joe Sheridan, causing plenty of problems for the Galway defence. Within seconds of the re-start Sheridan blasted to the net and when McGee (twice) and Shane McKeigue followed up with points the deficit had been wiped out. Darren Fay had been moved back to full-back in a direct switch with Anthony Moyles and with Nigel Crawford having another superb game at centre-field, Meath recovered again after Galway scored three successive points. Brian Farrell's goal inspired the home team and even when points were exchanged in the closing stages Meath showed great determination in holding out for a 2-12 to 1-12 victory. It had been an outstanding game and the best possible start to the campaign for Sean Boylan and his selectors. Having won four competitive games in successive, Meath were expected to collect maximum points from their trip to Wexford for a second round NFL clash but the bubble burst badly at Wexford Park as the visitors produced a poor performance when going under on a 0-10 to 1-5 scoreline. The goal came in the closing stages when Joe Sheridan fisted a Darren Fay centre to the net but it was a genuine case of too little…too late as Wexford were well in control at the time. Mark Ward, Damien Byrne and Brian Dillon were included in the Meath attack but all three were replaced during the game. The team re-grouped for the local Derby against Cavan at Pairc Tailteann and a five point win saw them claim third place on the table with four points. Only Limerick and Sligo had made better starts to the campaign. The victory over Cavan was largely inspired by Ray McGee who finished with a marvellous personal tally of 2-3 while the introduction of Niall Kelly as a substitute for the injured Brian Dillon also had a major impact. Cavan were disappointing and missed some relatively easy frees but Meath deserved to get back to winning ways. Leinster Champions Laois had made a disappointing start to the campaign losing all three of their games. They had been vastly under-strength but had most of their stars back in action for Meath's visit to O'Moore Park in early March Conditions were excellent and both teams responded with a cracking game at the end of which the home team had chalked up their first win since beating Kildare in the previous year's Leinster Final. They took an early two point lead before Meath took control by nailing 1-6 without reply. Once again it was Joe Sheridan who found the net after much hard work by Evan Kelly. Laois rallied before the break and the deficit was down to two points at the interval Throughout the third quarter Meath still looked the more likely winners but with Noel Garvan's influence growing at centre-field, Mick O'Dwyer's team increased the pressure. It eventually paid off in the closing minutes when Garvan created the opportunity for Kevin Fitzpatrick to find the net. Meath failed to score in the last quarter and Laois were winners on a 1-15 to 1-12 scoreline Despite the defeat there were some encouraging signs…Meath attacked superbly in the first half and were only caught in the closing stages. And there were returns, as substitutes for four injured players…Trevor Giles, Daithi Regan, Niall McKeigue and Ollie Murphy. But with other results also going against them, Meath were now more concerned with the battle at the bottom of the table rather than the top. Another away game followed…this time against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds and it turned out to be a controversial affair. It finished all square but the home team required a dubious injury time goal to ensure a share of the spoils. The referee was Michael Day of Mayo whose decisions eventually became a major factor in Meath's year. Meath were leading Limerick by three points as the game went into injury time but a goalmouth scramble ended with the ball in David Gallagher's net. Daly immediately indicated a free out which seemed to be an appropriate decision but, under pressure from Limerick players he consulted the umpires before allowing the goal to stand. The game finished all square, 1-8 to 2-5, and the loss of a point eventually turned out to be disastrous for Meath. Brian Farrell and Evan Kelly each scored three points while Evan Kelly got the goal. Pairc Tailteann was the venue for the sixth round game against Armagh who were also still in contention. The teams battled with Championship intensity and finished all square at 2-7 apiece. The visitors appeared to be on their way to victory when they led by five points coming up to half-time thanks to goals from Martin O'Rourke and Diarmuid Marsden. But Meath stuck to the task and trailed by only three points at the break. Trevor Giles was hugely influential at right-half-back and Nigel Crawford also excelled at centre-field. Charles McCarthy grabbed a goal and then turned creator for Joe Sheridan's cracker but the home team were unable to pull away from their opponents who drew level in injury time with a point from a '45 by Paddy McKeever. The final game was against Sligo at Markievicz Park and Meath, lying in fourth place on the table could still qualify for the semi-finals with a win. They would also need Wexford, Armagh and Galway to lose. Relegation was also a possibility…Sligo and Laois were the other contenders to accompany Cavan into division 2 It turned out to be a disaster for Sean Boylan's team. Despite scoring 3-7 they were beaten by a point…and although both Wexford and Armagh were beaten, the victories for Sligo, Laois and Galway ensured that the Royal County were relegated. All this despite lying fourth on the table on the morning of the game and finishing up with six points and a plus points difference! In truth the one point defeat by Sligo flattered the visitors. Sligo dominated for most of the game and Meath's third goal came on the stroke of full time It was a poor overall performance but the loss of Mark O'Reilly, Paddy Reynolds and Hank Traynor before the game had an upsetting effect. Damien Clarke of Dunderry started at corner-back and the entire half-forward line was substituted along with a centre-field man and corner-forward. Joe Sheridan to scored with 2-4 bringing his total in the seven League games to 6-24. Ollie Murphy scored Meath's other goal but, overall, the trip to Yeats County was an occasion to forget. Tweet

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