Prodigal son

THEY said it couldn't be done. Firstly Meath were too far down the pecking order to be considered as serious All-Ireland contenders and the other impossibility was that Graham Geraghty would wear the green and gold of his county again.

However, all that changed before 5.30 on Saturday afternoon as Meath signalled their intentions to the nation with an impressive victory over Galway and Geraghty returned to milk the adulation of the vibrant Meath throngs.

The scenes that greeted the final whistle haven't been witnessed at the conclusion of a Meath football match for many years and who is to say that there isn't more to come because this Meath team are good.

Are they good enough to win the All-Ireland? That remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, Meath are the one name in the hat for next Sunday evenings All-Ireland SFC quarter-final draw that Sligo, Dublin, Tyrone and Kerry and will hope to avoid.

What a transformation it has been for Colm Coyle's charges. On Sunday, 8th April Meath were hammered and humiliated by Wexford in the NFL Div. 2B and any chance of progression was written off by the fans and the media.

However, the emphatic win over Kildare and the impressive displays despite losing to Dublin were an indication of better days ahead and those dreams were realised against Galway.

Little more is expected of Meath from the supporters. They have exceeded all expectations, but don't tell that to the 30 players on the panel.

There is a belief amongst them that they can continue their remarkable journey. They go into the last eight with nothing to lose and know that if they maintain their current form and get a small slice of luck then anything is possible.

The old cliché of 'taking the championship just one game at a time' was trotted out by all and sundry in the tunnel under the stand at O'Moore Park on Saturday. That's the sensible answer, but deep down in their hearts the Meath players must be excited.

The earlier qualifier wins over Down and Fermanagh didn't set the world alight. The quality of the opposition was questioned and that diminished any Meath victory, but on Saturday there was no disputing the quality of Galway as they defeated Mayo in Connacht and were genuine All-Ireland contenders.

The Tribesmen's defeat by Sligo in the Connacht final was a shock and many expected a fierce backlash for the Royals, but instead it was Galway who were hit ferociously as Stephen Bray stunned them with a double goal salvo towards the end of the first-half.

Bray was simply outstanding, as was Meath's game plan. The style of play is simple, yet beautifully effective. Let the ball in quickly to the inside forwards and with players like Bray, Brian Farrell, Shane O'Rourke and Geraghty damage will be done.

The full-forward line scored 2-10 of Meath's final 2-14 tally and 2-5 of that came from play. The best defender in the West, Damien Burke, couldn't handle Bray and had to be withdrawn, that is an indication of how strong Meath are.

Mark Ward gave an exhibition at midfield and while Darren Fay had his toughest test since his return he passed the exam posed by Michael Meehan who did score 1-5, but only twice from play.

It augers well for Meath and the return of Graham Geraghty is the right move as there can be no debate that his impact is hugely positive. The fans love him and he gave Meath a boost at a time when Galway were threatening to get back into the game.

His inclusion on the panel is even more important now that Seamus Kenny and Eoghan Harrington appear to be ruled out of action for at least two months. If Meath are to progress they need their best players and along with Bray, Fay, Farrell, Moyles and Ward, Geraghty certainly fits that bill.