‘Victory a big weight lifted off everybody’s shoulders’

LEINSTER MFC

REACTION

Sometimes a championship win, just one precious victory, can do wonders for a team's morale.

The delight on the faces of the Meath team members' faces after Saturday's victory over Westmeath was certainly evident as they walked off the pitch sometimes with family members who looked even more delighted than the players. Meath manager Joe Cowley afterwards referred to the win as "the big one."

You have to wonder about any championship format whereby a team that loses two games can still potentially go on and win the title but that's the way it is in the Leinster MFC - and it's hardly Meath's fault they have used the system to their advantage.

They now take on Wexford in a preliminary quarter-final- at home - and having sailed so close to elimination the young Royals might be doubly motivated to do well now that redemption - in the shape of Saturday's win over the Lake County - has been secured. Although the same could apply to Wexford, who like Meath, also sailed close to the edge but finished second in Group 3. A group also that contained Carlow and Wicklow.

After Saturday's win over the Lake County Cowley made reference to just how important Saturday's was to his group of players - as well as him and his management team that includes selectors Shane McAnarney and Stephen Claire.

"It was a big weight lifted off everybody's shoulders, the first two games hurt them, hurt them deeply and all we asked was for them to come here and show, really show, what they have in the locker and I think they did that," he said afterwards.

He talked how in the first-half his side "managed the game well" by carefully, skilfully holding onto possession. In the second-half, with the wind behind them they had to push forward, to take risks and get the scores they needed. Such a strategy was, he admitted, "hairy" at times as Westmeath exploited gaps in defence but the scores were fashioned and taken to ensure the victory - and survival.

"We knew we didn't perform against Kildare and then Louth. The first place you look at is yourself and making sure you had everything done. We felt we did because we had a great run of challenge game against quality opposition so we knew it just wasn't us.

"We maybe just froze. Maybe there was a little bit of anxiety and nerves that set in, and that can happen at this age group. We had a much better performance against Louth and we felt if we got the result there that would have kick started us but even if we had beaten Louth we still would have had to come here today to win, so this was the big one."

Now the game against the Model County beckons on Wednesday 24th April. The dream is still alive.