Sustain progress has to be the target this time

There’s a feeling in the air around Meath ladies football that brighter days lie just around the corner, but in order to achieve those great things they need to be operating at a higher level and next Sunday at home to Down they take the first step in trying to secure promotion from NFL Div 3.

Since taking over as Meath manager Eamonn Murray and his backroom team of Paul Garrigan, Paddy Dowling and Michelle Grimes have transformed the fortunes of ladies football in the county, but now Murray must contain expectations and maintain reasonable goals as they continue to progress.
When Murray took over Meath were at a low ebb in the lower reaches of Div 3 after winning just one game, but since then they have gone on to win the Leinster IFC crown and reached the All-Ireland IFC semi-final.
So 2018 is a massive year for Meath Ladies Football if they are to continue their recent upward curve and Murray believes that supporters will have to be patient with his young team.
“There is no doubting that 2018 is a big year for Meath Ladies football, but we can’t be getting carried away with ourselves just because we won Leinster last year and reached the All-Ireland semi-final,” Murray told the Meath Chronicle.
“We were a bit surprised ourselves with how well the girls did after we came in because they were in such a low place after a really bad league, but it is a measure of the talent in the county that they reacted the way they did.
“There are some outstanding young players in Meath, but they need more time and they will flourish, I have no doubt about that.
“The biggest problem now is to contain expectations. We might be starting off in Div 3 of the league and to some people that might seem like a very low grade, but when you look at the teams in the division it isn’t going to be easy.
“Teams like Kildare operated in the Leinster SFC last year and came down from Div 2, so they are in a rebuilding process as well as us and they will want to get up to the higher division again.
“If you want to continue to make progress then you have to be operating from the top table, but as I said that isn’t going to be easy.
“Wexford were hot favourites to win the IFC last year before we beat them in Leinster, so they will be keen to make amends for that, while football in Offaly, Roscommon and Leitrim is certainly on the rise.
“We are in no position to take anyone for granted after our performances in the league last year, but our championship displays certainly gives us hope for the future,” said Murray.
All the positivity surrounding Murray’s appointment and the arrival of highly regarded coaches like Garrigan and Dowling has been good for Meath football, but Murray was at pains to emphasise how much hard work the players themselves have put in to get Meath back to where they belong.
“The response from the girls since we came in has been amazing, we couldn’t have asked for any more from them and they have done everything we wanted them to do,” said Murray.
“Some of the love for Meath football was starting to disappear over the last few years, but that passion is back and you can see by the amount of effort these girls are putting in how much it means to them.
“Training at 8am on Saturday or Sunday mornings is no problem for this lot. They turn up with a smile on their face, willing to work hard and eager to learn. With that sort of attitude you cannot go wrong.
“We have brought through many of the players from the minor teams I was involved with over the last few years and those players have fitted in seamlessly. They have given the whole place an extra lift and the competition in the panel is huge.
“These girls won’t fail from a lack of effort, they have huge drive and the lift they have given the more experienced girls has been brilliant.
“There is a serious hunger surrounding Meath football again, but we have to be cautious too. We aren’t even a year in the job yet, this is actually our first league game in charge, so we have to be patient.
“If these girls are given the support and opportunity to grow as footballers then I believe there are bright days ahead for Meath football. The league is huge for us so hopefully we’ll get off to a positive start,” concluded Murray.