Newbridge or bust for Meath

Meath's bid to secure promotion back to NFL Div 1 will have to be completed away from home as they lost the coin toss and will face Kildare in Newbridge, most likely on Sunday 13th June at 2pm.

Because both Meath and Kildare played the same amount of home games in the league stages of the NFL Div 2 (one), neither was deemed to have had an advantage as so the counties had to toss a coin to decide the venue.

Kildare manager Jack O'Connor expressed a concern after his side's crucial win over Laois in Portlaoise yesterday that St Conleth's Park in Newbridge is too tight and doesn't suit the style of football his side are trying to play.

"Well, we were very disappointed after last week," former Kerry boss O'Connor told RTÉ Radio 1 after the win over Laois.

"We just have a bit of a thing about Newbridge. We don't think the tightness of the pitch suits us. We want to kick the ball. That's what I've been working on for the last two years, since I came up here.

"Against a very defensive Clare team in Newbridge the last day, it was hard to kick the ball, particularly into the wind.

"Fine pitch here in O'Moore Park, sunny day, and we targeted getting the ball in earlier. We kicked 2-18, which is a good score."

However, that could be just typical Kerry cuteness from O'Connor as the Lilywhites will be eager to welcome the Royals to Newbridge for a game which side will advance to play in Div 1 in 2022 and which side will remain in Div 2.