Regan gets the shears out after Aughrim victory

There was a buzz in the Meath dressing room after Saturday's impressive NHL Div 2A victory over Wicklow in Aughrim - and in more ways than one.

As the players celebrated a first victory since their win over Mayo on 1st March last year they held their kit men Paul Dunne and Gerry McLoughlin to a promise they had made earlier in lockdown.

Dunne and McLoughlin had vowed not to get their hair cut until Meath returned to the winners enclosure again.

As the team returned to the clubhouse in Aughrim after their nine-point win over their hosts the players had the clippers ready and the two stick men were only too happy to oblige.

With plenty to shear the honour of skinning the kit men was bestowed upon the player who the two men concluded was man-of-the-match from Saturday's win - Kiltale clubman Jack Regan.

And it was with a typical cheeky smile that Jack Regan strode forward with enormous satisfaction as he relished the task and completed the job.

The mood in the Meath dressing room was in stark contrast to the atmosphere that had prevailed under the Pairc Tailteann stand six days earlier.

Manager Nick Weir revealed that the players had a long, hard look at their performance against Offaly and he was delighted with the response.

"We had a good meeting last Monday night with the lads and they took ownership of what happened against Offaly,” he told the Meath Chronicle.

“We looked for leaders all over the field here today and we got that.

"We set out a game plan at the beginning of the match and they maintained it right through to the very end.

“They were well up for it today and that was reflected on the scoreboard, we were unlucky not to score a goal from the penalty as well.

"They kept going right until the end, there was no drop off at all today.

“The seven lads who came on from the substitutes bench also added to it.

"Damien Healy and Adam Gannon brought something different up front when they came in and at midfield Jack McGowan and Stephen Morris brought fresh legs to that area.

“The two lads that came into the back line and Eamonn O Donnchadha on the wing all contributed handsomely to the game as well, it was great to see that.

"That result and performance is rightly deserved for the boys because they have put in a huge effort again this week.

“They were very down after last Sunday's display against Offaly, so that will pick them up and it will be a big boost.

"They have the day off tomorrow to recap on the performance and then they can look forward to going to Tralee to play Kerry next weekend," he added.

Despite the dreadful downpour that fell from just before throw-in Weir was thrilled with how his side hurled.

A massive believer in ‘brilliant basics’ the manager was pleased with how his players stuck to the game plan and didn't try to over complicate things.

He was also happy with how his side maintained momentum once they got on top.

"The conditions were dreadful at the start,” he remarked.

“We always say to the boys that if they do the simple things well it doesn't matter too much about the conditions.

"That was what they had to do today, with a wet ball and greasy conditions they had to make sure they did everything right.

"There was nothing spectacular there today, it was just basic hurling right through to the end and they stuck with it.

"You could see what happened last Sunday after the water break.

“We had the momentum going into that water break, but whatever happened after that I don't know, we just dropped off completely.

“Today against Wicklow we really focused in and honed in on maintaining the momentum that we had and they managed that," he added.

Saturday's trip to Aughrim was a potential banana skin and while Meath were always expected to win, Weir was taking nothing for granted.

With two points in the bag the manager is now looking forward to next week's trip to Tralee to take on a Kerry side that lost to Offaly.

He believes the experience of the last two games will stand to his side and the benefit of introducing players off the bench has added huge versatility to the panel.

"From our point of view we can take plenty of positives from this win,” stated Weir.

“Coming to Aughrim and getting a win here the way we did has to be very positive for the team going forward.

"This is not an easy place to get a result, but the reason we got the win was because the lads worked hard for the whole 75 minutes.

“Everything was good about the performance today, having a strong panel is what we are about.

“We are trying to change the culture of just being a team, we are a squad and in fairness to the boys who were dropped for today's game they travelled down here to Aughrim and they added to the game when they were brought on.

"The lads that were substituted also drove those other lads on, that was important and it is great to have a strong panel to pick from," concluded the Meath manager.

While there was an over-riding sense of satisfaction at the result and the performance the afternoon was tinged with some sadness also after one member of the panel announced his retirement from inter-county action.

Goalkeeper Mark McCormack told the manager and the other players about his intention to retire from the county panel.

The 38-year-old self-employed carpenter and father of a young family revealed to the manager after the game that he simply couldn't give the time necessary and stepped away from the panel.

His presence will be missed by the remainder of the panel of players.