Tough tyrone test looms

After the disappointment of yesterday’s Leinster SFC capitulation against Westmeath, Meath must dust themselves down quickly and prepare for a tricky trip to Omagh to face Mickey Harte’s Tyrone in round two of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers.
The meeting will be the second time in three seasons that the counties have met in the All-Ireland qualifiers and Mick O’Dowd will be hoping to avenge the 2-9 to 0-17 loss suffered in Croke Park in his first year in charge.
That game in 2013 was the spark that ignited the introduction of the black card with Sean Cavanagh’s cynical challenge late in the game denying Meath what could have been a match saving goal.
There is plenty of history between Meath and Tyrone in the championship with the 1996 semi-final win over the Red Hands still fresh in the memory and the 1-13 to 2-8 win in the All-Ireland SFC quarter-final in 2007 giving Meath some hope to cling to.
Meath will be without Paddy O’Rourke for the trip to Omagh following his sending off against Westmeath and there is also some doubt about Kevin Reilly after he played 66 minutes of that Leinster semi-final loss.
Shane O’Rourke is expected to be available for selection following a broken hand, while it is unclear if Conor Gillespie will be back in time to be available for selection.