'We got back to the basics, the ruck ball, the dirty ball and all those simple things'

Johnny Greville’s allegiances towards Meath GAA may have been questionable on Sunday but there is no doubt that the Westmeath native was delighted to see his side comprehensively dispatch Roscommon on Saturday in the second round of the Christy Ring Cup.

The Royals suffered a heavy defeat to Kerry in round one and Greville spoke about how winning the basic battles and chipping away at scores proved crucial to Meath as they bounced back on Saturday and kept their Christy Ring Cup hopes alive.

“We felt against Kerry last week that we did not represent ourselves the way we have all year. We needed to get a response today. It was all about the performance and the win, whether it be by one point or 10. We got back to the basics, the ruck ball, the dirty ball and all those simple things. That was the difference this week, we won those battles,” said Greville.

“It was somewhat similar to the Mayo match in the league in that we put up a good score by half-time. The difference today was we controlled the second-half a bit better. We kept chipping in with scores which left them with a bit more to do. It was all about ourselves today and making sure we got across the line.”

There was a change of venue during the week for the contest and although Greville was not overly pleased with that decision, he did admit that it affected both sides. He also said he wants his side to continue their momentum and keep improving their accuracy in front of goals.

"The game was changed from Dr Hyde Park to here. With all respect to the groundsmen and the volunteers here, it is a small pitch. It was a hard pitch to play on but it was the same for both teams. We were well used to playing in windy conditions and we are getting better at managing that. Hopefully, our momentum can carry forward now. Winning is a habit and we needed to get a win today," said Greville.

"We have spoken about the lack of goals and we have had a look at it. I suppose a score is a score and today was the first time we hit 28 points this year which is good shooting. We had plenty of wides as well so there is plenty to improve on in that area. The opportunities for goals will come. They generally end up being crucial scores so hopefully in the games ahead we can get a few crucial goals."

Greville had high praise for his players performance on the day and in particular he was delighted with the efforts of Lorcan Byrne and Mark Leavy.

“I thought Lorcan Byrne was unbelievable today. He caught a ball there today that would be applauded at the top level and then he was unfortunately punished for coming down on top of a man. He has a huge appetite and epitomises what this group was all about,” said Greville.

“Mark (Leavy) had a great game as well. He had been quiet by his own standards in the last few outings but he did really well and got on a lot of ball. It is all part of his journey and it is his first year at senior inter-county level. We have plenty of lads that are coming through and putting their hand up.”

Leavy is one of several players who are also on the Meath u-20s side who have a crunch game this week against Laois in Kildalkey on Wednesday evening.

“The lads who are part of the 20s will play Laois on Wednesday and they'll focus on that. After that, we will all gather together and get ready for Wicklow. We have a great working relationship with the 20s and that has stood to us. They are being minded and taken care of where possible,” said Greville.

“Both squads are trying to get the best out of the lads every time they take to the field. They have done really well and you know, they can play adult hurling for the rest of their lives but they only have a short time at u-20 level so they should enjoy it when they can.”

Next up for the Royals in the Christy Ring Cup is a clash with Wicklow, the side that put a huge dent in Meath’s ambitions 12 months ago. However, Greville says that his side is looking forward and not back.

“We have a saying in the group here and it goes, you can’t drive a car looking out the back window. That is a key thing for us and we are really focused on that. We can’t look back at that Wicklow game last year, we can only look forward. This year is a different group, different team, different mentality and different skill set. We know what Wicklow will bring but we will be focusing on ourselves and looking at what we can bring to the table. We will regroup and make an assault on next weekend,” concluded Greville.

Meath will face Wicklow at 2pm next Sunday in Aughrim.