Thriller anticipated

Two teams attempting to reach the peak of club hurling in Meath will take to the pitch at Navan's Pairc Tailteann next Sunday for what will be an eagerly-awaited SHC final with the Jubilee Cup as the ultimate prize. The fact that neither Dunboyne or Kildalkey have made it to the summit in recent times only sharpens the instincts on each side. Referee Richard Morris, from the Blackhall Gaels club, will be officiating at his first senior decider and is unlikely to have too many disciplinary issues to deal with as both teams are renowned for their hurling ability and skill levels. Kildalkey nearly made it last year and many will view that as sufficient incentive for them to go on and complete the job this time around, their third attempt to win the final in 12 months following their replay heartache against Kilmessan in 2008. Not too many years ago Dunboyne were on the verge of ending that quest for salvation when they were mugged on the line by an opportunist Gary Cole goal for Rathmolyon in the last decider played at Trim. "I was on the bench that day and I thought we had our hands on the cup, we were all getting ready to run on and celebrate," Dunboyne's centre-back Paul Fagan told the Meath Chronicle this week. For many years Trim had been the traditional home of hurling in Meath. There were brief forays to Athboy and Navan, but traditionalists always claimed that there was something special, almost sacred, about the sod at St Loman's Park. Progress has eliminated that old sod and I'm quite certain, at some stage in the future, a Jubilee Cup final will once again be played at the 'traditional' home of hurling in the Royal County. For now, Navan serves as a more than adequate replacement venue. The sod at Pairc Tailteann is now conducive to good hurling. A little over a month ago the venue hosted the All-Ireland u-21 HC semi-final in which Kilkenny demolished Antrim. Why Antrim should get to an All-Ireland u-21 HC semi-final after winning the Ulster championship is a debate for another day, perhaps. But Kilkenny would hardly be brought to Pairc Tailteann if the pitch was sub-standard and that, indirectly, is good news for the hurling stalwarts in Meath. I sometimes feel we are too quick to dismiss hurling in Meath. Quite understandably, it is compared to what Kilkenny produce. The people who promote the game here do so against all the odds. A fickle and quick-to-criticise public who dismiss those efforts without any great thought. One thing is certain for next Sunday's final, patrons who attend will be guaranteed a thriller. The outcome will hang in the balance until the final whistle. If there is a lot of injury-time the smart money should be on Kildalkey. They are unlikely to win it in 60 minutes, but give them a big deficit and a bit of added-time and they are lethal. Having watched them in the semi-final against Kilmessan and the quarter-final against Navan O'Mahonys, I will be very surprised if they tackle this assignment in a straightforward way. Kildalkey simply cannot do 'simple' - they like complicated, they like to get the pulse racing, they like to attempt the impossible - they have managed it twice so far and will bid for a hat-trick on Sunday. Standing in their way is a team that almost had the Jubilee Cup in their grasp three years ago and as their young centre-back suggested - "Hopefully we will have learned from that experience." Don't miss Sunday's action. Anyone going for the football - the SFC quarter-final between Navan O'Mahonys and Dunshaughlin - should stay for the main course.