‘Anyone can throw in the towel, head down and mope around, but you come here to win’

Pacy, skilful corner-forward Nicky Potterton says that despite the heavy thumpings dished out by Laois and Offaly to Meath in recent weeks his team can benefit greatly in the long term from playing in such games.

The Kildalkey man was prominent in both encounters and made a telling contribution to Meath's very respectable tally of 3-16 notched up against the Faithful County on Saturday. Twice Potterton found the net, and added five points from frees, while he also produced a man of the match display against the O'Moore County.

"We want to be playing these teams, it's like them going up taking on Kilkenny, Galway. It's all about trying to find your feet at the level you are supposed to be playing at. That's why the five divisions, it's so well worked in the hurling, I think personally anyway. Playing the likes of them (Offaly) you learn from that. The second-half I would nearly just analyse that. Where did we go wrong? How did they score five points, or the 10, so quickly? We want to be playing these teams," he added.

" Anyone can throw in the towel, head down and mope around but you come here to win, come here to get better."

The big problem is how do Meath get a foothold in the McDonagh Cup so that they can play powerful sides like Laois and Offaly week in, week out and improve accordingly?

Steven Clynch's side have a chance of picking up their first victory in their current campaign when they travel to take on Westmeath in their next assignment. Westmeath drew with Down at Ballycran on Saturday, their first point of the campaign, but no mean achievement for all that. A win in Cusack Park would be a real game changer for Meath, not least because it would bag the two points that could, possibly sustain them at their current level. It's an unlikely scenario but Potterton believes and that's a crucial aspect of the young man's development. He's always looking to improve.

"It's a one off game, we will go down there to Mullingar with a 50-50 chance. We will come up with a plan and go at it," he said with a note of defiance after Saturday's defeat.

He talked of that second goal he bagged against Offaly, scored from a 20 metre free and how thinking outside the box, and taking a risk, can reap rewards. Everyone expected him to just pop the ball over the bar. He didn't. He went for broke, took a risk and reaped a rich dividend. The ball flashed into the net past startled Offaly defenders on the line. The origins of that score could be traced back to well before Saturday's game started.

"Yesterday I was driving home in the car and I said if I get a chance I think I will just go for it, we were eight points down at that stage. If I put it over the bar, I thought, we were going to be seven down but if I got the goal we were only going to be five down so I said I'll just go for it. Hit and hope, close the eyes and hope for the best."

It's hardly surprising Potterton is emerging as one of Meath's marquee players. His father Nicky, was a passionate hurling man, who played and supported his beloved Kildalkey before sadly passing away all too soon towards the end of last year. Young Nicky's uncle, Pat Potterton, was a classy hurler who played for Leinster - and not many players from Meath did that down the decades.

Now with his pace, skill and, more importantly, attitude, Nicky junior is really starting to make an impact. He was, for instance, a central figure in helping Kildalkey achieve a Jubilee Cup success last year; one element in the remarkable, historic three adult championships won by the club - at senior, intermediate and junior.

Young Nicky still hears his father's words of advice when it comes to aspects of games such as taking close in frees like he did on Saturday. "He would always say things like, now a 21-yard line free, your better to take a chance, go for it." The young man did on Saturday and look what happened.

Meath certainly have had their problems this year. Forget for a moment the disruption caused by Seoirse Bulfin and his management team suddenly stepping away. Injuries have been a big factor with James Toher and Podge O'Hanrahan among the latest to pick up knocks. On the plus side others have been coming back such as Damien Healy and that has, says Potterton, helped to raise the morale within the squad.

"Damien a great servant to Meath hurling, one of the lads I grew up watching, going up to places like Ballycran to watch these lads play, see if I could play with him when I was older. People didn't see the kind of work he put in behind the scenes to get back on the pitch, it was just immense. It was great to see him back today."

Now Westmeath looms on Saturday 18th May and a shot at redemption.