Selection problems will cause a bigger headache

Meath manager Seamus McEnaney may be adopting a cautious approach in the build up to Sunday's Leinster SFC quarter-final against Carlow, but the Royal County must be considered odds-on to advance to the last four despite some major injury worries. Last week's decision by Dunshaughlin's Caoimhin King to walk away from the panel surprised some supporters, but McEnaney was reluctant to comment about the matter as he concentrated on the build up to the Carlow game. Of more concern for the Monaghan man was the news that Seamus Kenny's injury was worse than was first anticipated and the Simonstown Gaels clubman now faces a long spell on the road to recovery with a cruciate injury. Carlow also have injury problems and, apart from that headache, go into Sunday's game with a dreadful record in the NFL Div 4 this year. They won only three of eight games with victories over Kilkenny, London and Waterford for a third from bottom finish ahead of London and Kilkenny. Manager Luke Dempsey, who was a candidate for the vacancy in Meath after Colm Coyle's untimely departure in 2008, will be setting out on his fourth championship campaign with nothing more than containment as the target for Sunday's joust with the Royals. The last time the sides met in the Leinster SFC was in 2008 when Meath recorded a facile 1-25 to 0-8 victory against a Paul Bealin-managed Carlow side. Meath's 2008 victory was achieved despite the absence of almost half a team due to suspensions and injuries. The suspensions arose after the 'infamous Parnell Park brawl' against Dublin. Arising out of that Niall McKeigue, Shane McAnarney, Brendan Murphy, Kenny and Nigel Crawford were banned. Anthony Moyles and Shane O'Rourke were on the injured list. Kenny, the team captain, and O'Rourke miss out again this year through injury. For McAnarney, Sunday's game will be a little extra special as he will take over the captain's role with Kevin Reilly stepping up to vice-captain. Missing for that 2008 game was Carlow's Brendan Murphy who was in Australia playing for Sydney Swans, but he will feature this time around and could cause Meath some problems along with the likes of Shane Redmond and Derek Hayden. Carlow will be without John Murphy, an experienced campaigner who plays his club football in Dublin for St Sylvester's. Murphy is sidelined along with wing-back Paul Cashin (pictured) and forward Cormac Mullins, all three with cruciate problems. The arrival of Kildare's Anthony Rainbow as a selector, he was appointed late last year, may have some long-term benefits for Carlow, but so far the results have not been encouraging. According to Dempsey, the former Kildare footballer is "doing a very good job" and Rainbow has called on Carlow supporters to get behind the team. As part of their championship preparations Carlow enjoyed a training weekend in Cork and they also played challenge games against Tipperary, Offaly and a Dublin selection. A case for Carlow's chances would be difficult to put forward, but Meath endured a poor run in the NFL Div 2 that culminated with relegation on the last day of the campaign. However, in mitigation, Meath were unlucky to lose to both Galway and Kildare by a point in each game and that form is enough to suggest that they have more than enough in the tank to negotiate this hurdle. No point in looking for problems where none exist. If the Royal County players adopt the correct attitude, which they will, Meath can continue on their reputation-restoration work with another solid performance on the perfectly manicured O'Connor Park pitch that should suit their style. The bookies are rarely too far off the mark and they had Meath as favourites to beat Wicklow in the last round, the odds are even shorter for next Sunday, but those odds adequately reflect the respective chances of each county in this one-off confrontation. Injury doubts surround Stephen Bray, Paddy Gilsenan, Alan Forde and Graham Reilly, but that quartet are likely to get the green light and provide the manager with some selection problems. That will be the only problems McEnaney will have to face on Sunday. For a full 3-page preview of Sunday's game, see this week's Meath Chronicle.