Meath well equipped to deal with Galway

Meath will go into Saturday’s All-Ireland MFC semi-final curtainraiser against Galway at Croke Park (3pm) with confidence in their own ability to make it to the decider.

Following some gritty performances on the way to the last four, it’s evident that the never-say-die attitude that brought Meath success under Sean Boylan has once more surfaced.

That was apparent in the quarter-final against Derry two weeks ago when Meath saw a substantial half-time lead whittled down to the minimum by a determined Derry side.

At that stage late in the second-half, faced with the possibility of exiting the championship, the Meath players collectively stepped up to the plate and completed the job with a late flourish.

There was also evidence of the character in this team in the Leinster campaign, especially against Dublin and Offaly in round-robin encounters.

That character, that determination will be required again this weekend when the best team in Leinster tackles the top side from Connacht with a place in the decider against Kerry or Monaghan the reward.

Manager Joe Treanor and his selectors have worked hard to get the team to this stage, it’s a project that began some five years ago and next Saturday will represent another test of the credentials of Meath football.

Winning and making it to the All-Ireland final will boost the profile of Meath football nationally, but more importantly, it will be a tangible reward for the multitude of hard-working club officials across the county.

The starting 15 against Derry in the quarter-final featured eight players from clubs outside the senior grade, clubs like Moynalty, Clann na nGael, Drumbaragh, Ballinabrackey, St Ultan’s, Dunderry and Walterstown. Add in the substitutes and clubs like Kilmainhamwood, Castletown and Oldcastle also featured.

That reflects the county-wide trawl for talent that is ongoing.

Harry O’Higgins from Drumbaragh is a solid full-back with a talented goalkeeper in Dunderry’s Sean Brennan behind him. 

Midfield features Moynalty’s Adam Reilly and Cian McBride from St Ultan’s, two players who will thrive in the atmosphere that Croke Park will provide.

Senior club Dunshaughlin has provided the captain Matthew Costello and corner forward Luke Mitchell, both made big contributions in the campaign so far and have more to offer.

However, Galway are no slouches and despite a slow start against Clare in their quarter-final they progressed with a 0-18 to 0-11 victory. 

Galway manager Donal Ó Flátharta had to plan the quarter-final against Clare without midfielder Paul Kelly who was on the Ireland u-18 basketball team in Kosovo while Oisín McCormack was absent due to Connacht Rugby commitments. Both players are expected to feature this weekend.

Galway cruised through Connacht with wins over Roscommon (4-18 to 0-8) in Tuam, Sligo (3-15 to 0-10), Mayo (0-15 to 1-9) and Leitrim (4-17 to 1-11) before taking the provincial title by 2-13 to 2-9 against a Roscommon side that converted a late penalty goal.

The Galway half-back line is solid and Ryan Monaghan is the main free-taker, he converted six frees against Clare and four in the Connacht final. 

Centre-back Tony Gill also likes to get forward while Cathal Sweeney is fast, and wins a lot of those frees when hegets forward. 

It would be common to see opponents pick up black cards for fouls. Conor Raftery and Kelly, if he starts, will make the Meath midfield partnership work hard for possession and this is where Meath could have a vital edge.

Galway corner forward Matthew Cooley was the man of the match in the Connacht final with five points, but Meath’s Luke Mitchell took the Leinster final equivalent following his magnificent display against Kildare.

Supporters can look forward to an excellent game with Meath capable of imposing an open style of football that forces the opposition into errors and that could prove to be the difference on Saturday. Meath to book a place in the All-Ireland final.

LEINSTER MFC

First round - Meath 2-20, Westmeath 2-7.
Second round - Meath 1-13, Dublin 2-8.
Third round - Meath 4-14, Louth 0-12.
Fourth round - Meath 1-13, Offaly 1-12.
Fifth round Meath 1-8, Wicklow 1-10.
Semi-final - Meath 5-18, Laois 0-8.
Final - Meath 1-15, Kildare 1-7.

CONNACHT MFC

First round - Galway 4-18, Roscommon 0-8.
Second round - Galway 3-15, Sligo 0-10.
Third round - Galway 0-15, Mayo 1-9.
Fourth round - Galway 4-17, Leitrim 1-11.
Final - Galway 2-13, Roscommon 2-9.

ALL-IRELAND MFC

Quarter-finals - Meath 1-15, Derry 1-10; Galway 0-18, Clare 0-11