Time to take stock and make some long-term plans

The bus containing the Meath players pulled out of Croke Park soon after six o'clock on Sunday evening. Slowly, almost silently, it eased its way into the traffic on Clonliffe Road and off into the muggy, misty evening. The downbeat manner in which the players left the stadium was in sharp contrast to the way they arrived - sirens blaring and under the protective care of a Garda escort. It summed up Meath's day. While they arrived at headquarters upbeat and optimistic they left downtrodden and in despair. Even those pundits in the national media who predicted the Lilywhites would win couldn't have foreseen the comprehensive manner in which Eamonn O'Brien's men would be dismissed. Eight points constituted Kildare's biggest championship win over Meath since 1978. Then, the Lilywhites prevailed on a 3-14 to 1-12 scoreline. Much of the talk over the weekend was the rebuilding work that will be needed to restore the fortunes of Kerry and Tyrone. Now they can add Meath to that list. Considering that the Royal County has reached two All-Ireland semi-finals in the last three years, a defeat in the quarter-finals has to be considered a backward step. And it wasn't just the defeat that was worrying for Meath supporters. It was the manner in which the team folded in the second-half - just as they did against Louth. If the same scenario had happened to a Dublin side there would be a hue and cry and a tribunal set up to investigate the cause. We all knew that Kildare would start slowly and that they would save their best until the second-half. Few could have foreseen the manner in which they would dominate in the second-half. At times they toyed with Meath - like lions with a captured prey. Talk about retirements justifiably wasn't on the manager's agenda on Sunday. He may very well stay on, but whoever is in charge for the coming year faces a major restructuring job. When Anthony Moyles was substituted in the second-half on Sunday he trooped off to a seat in the Hogan Stand. It was impossible to avoid the conclusion that he was taking his final few steps in his long and distinguished inter-county career. Moyles had his good days and bad in the green and gold. He defied those who predicted that he would hang up his inter-county boots before. Instead he put his body through a punishing fitness regime to attain the level required. Will he do that for another year? It is extremely doubtful. Nigel Crawford is well accustomed to absorbing good-humoured jibes from his team mates about being the 'old' man of the team. Yet he is only 31. His problem is that persistent injuries and a protracted inter-county career that dates back to 1998 has undermined his form. At the peak of his powers on the inter-county front he was a superb athlete; the years of attrition have inevitably taken their toll. Once again on Sunday, midfield proved to be an area where Meath found it difficult to find any real traction - especially in that lop-sided second-half when it seemed that there was only one team with the necessary spark and hunger. Joe Sheridan and Shane O'Rourke made up Meath's two-pronged full-forward line with Stephen Bray playing a roving role in front of them. It was a strategy that worked well in the early stages as the Leinster champions threatened to cut loose. Then the supply of ball coming through from the centre dried up and the Royal County's hopes steadily withered away for the want of some sustenance. Worryingly for Meath is the fact that there doesn't appear to be a rich supply of youthful talent on the way through the ranks, the lack of success at under-age level in recent years underlining the point. Conor Gillespie, Jamie Queeney and Davy Dalton are among those who look well capable of stepping up to the mark. They will need a year or two yet to adjust to the rigours of championship football at the highest level. Throughout this year's championship Meath have got more than their fair share of breaks. They got a few that led to goals in that memorable win over Dublin. Then there was Sheridan's goal against Louth that looks certain to fuel conversations far and wide for years to come. Meath even got a soft penalty on Sunday. Marty Duffy pointed to the spot when Brian Meade hit the deck. Cian Ward's spot-kick just about squeezed past Kildare goalkeeper Shane McCormack. It looked at that stage as if the gods were once more with Meath. Even the gods couldn't save the Royals from a second-half hammering with Seamus Kenny's red card capping a forgettable afternoon. The Meath 'Kop' on Hill 16 made their presence felt and they added little sprinkling of humour. "Hill 16 is gone green,' trumpeted one banner. 'Meath do it better' pronounced another. Maybe it should have read: 'Meath must do better.' The banners were soaked and forlorn looking as the rain returned shortly before the final whistle. They will now have to be folded away for another year - at least.