Meath head south for shot at redemption

For the fifth time in Robbie Brennan's two-year tenure as Meath senior football manager the Royals will face off against Cork and this time the Royals will hope to make it successive victories overs the Rebels for the first time in this series.

Throughout the late 1980s and early '90s the Meath-Cork rivalry was one of the cornerstones of the GAA. It was an intense, all-consuming, seemingly incessant battle that saw the counties clash in three All-Ireland finals, with Meath winning two.

While fortunes may have shifted significantly for both counties in the intervening years, apart from an All-Ireland SFC semi-final in 2007 which Cork won by 10 points, Meath are back amongst the genuine contenders and Cork have reinstated themselves as a serious proposition.

Their respective last championship outing might counter that assertion as Meath were humbled in their opening game in Leinster by Westmeath, while Cork's Munster final showing against Kerry was well below the standards many had expected.

An eight point loss to the All-Ireland champions in the modern game of two-point scores and more freedom in attack might not seem like something to get too concerned about for Cork ahead of the All-Ireland series, but when their performance against Kerry is broken down they find themselves in a tricky situation ahead of next Saturday's All-Ireland SFC round one clash with Meath in Pairc Ui Rinn.

Kerry were there for the taking in the Munster final. The All-Ireland champions were shorn of many of their key players and that uncertainty in their camp showed in the early stages as Cork raced into a 0-6 to 0-1 lead, but then the Rebels wilted in the summer sun in Killarney.

Kerry got back on level terms, 0-9 each, but with players of the qualities of Steven Sherlock, Chris Og Jones and Colm O'Callaghan Cork were able to settle again and take a 0-13 to 0-10 lead into the break.

Their prospects of a provincial shock were boosted when Paudie Clifford added to Kerry's injury woes and didn't reappear for the second period, but neither did Cork with any real substance as Tony Brosnan, Paudie's replacement, kicked a point before setting up David Clifford for a goal to edge Kerry 1-11 to 0-13 ahead.

This preview isn't a rewrite of the Munster SFC final report, but the brief synopsis does show the frailty and fragility of the Cork mindset when Kerry got a run at them, and that weakness needs to be exploited by Meath.

Cork are on their knees after that loss in Killarney. Brian O'Driscoll's lashed goal on the hour mark was more borne out of frustration than anything else, but it didn't serve as the inspiration Cork needed.

Kerry won the second-half 1-13 to 1-2, they outscored Cork by 0-6 to 0-1 in the closing 10 minutes which suggests Cork had given up!

Had they given up? Or did they just instinctively, subconsciously turn their focus to the visit of Meath next Saturday?

If the latter is the case then that is a dangerous game because Cork showed a vulnerability that wasn't overly evident throughout the league, apart from the drubbing by Derry.

Cork are a confidence side and when they are in their flow, on their game, buzzing and flying they are a formidable outfit.

Their inside forward line of Mark Cronin, Chris Og Jones and Steven Sherlock has to be one of the most formidable in the game. The threat of Brian O'Driscoll from wing back is one of the biggest in the country from that position and in Ian Maguire and Colm O'Callaghan they have one of the most physically imposing, powerful midfield pairings around.

Defensively you won't find many better than Daniel O'Mahony, Sean Meehan and Tommy Walsh as a unit, so why are their subject to such dramatic collapses.

Meath's recent record against Cork has been hit-and-miss, to say the least.

Colm O'Rourke's first game in charge of Meath 2023 saw Meath impress with Shane Walsh magnificent in a 3-14 to 0-19 win in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. The following year Cork came to Navan and left with a 1-15 to 1-11 win during which Ian Maguire dominated the skies.

Last year, in Robbie Brennan's first league game in charge, Meath's wastefulness proved costly as they lost out 0-21 to 2-19 down in Pairc Ui Chaoimh, but in the All-Ireland series Meath exacted revenge with a 1-13 to 0-12 victory in Navan.

The third meeting of the counties in Robbie Brennan's tenure saw Cork invite Meath to Pairc Ui Rinn and while Meath did get to within two points, 1-21 to 1-23, there was a sense that Cork were the better team that day.

Meath regrouped and that proved to be their only loss of the campaign as they secured promotion to Div 1 and advanced to the final where Meath were the better team and edged out Cork by 1-22 to 2-17 to claim the silverware.

From the four meetings of the counties in Robbie Brennan's time in charge the teams have two wins each, so who will take the spoils this time around?

Meath have had five weeks to sit in the long grass and wallow in the disappointment of their Leinster SFC loss to Westmeath.

It is universally accepted by players and management alike that Meath simply did not get to the pitch of the game in Tullamore against Westmeath and they paid the price, a repeat of such a display will be similarly catastrophic.

Maybe the performance and result are just the wake up call Meath need.

If ever two games highlighted that there's only six inches between a clap on the back and the kick up the butt it is the league final win over Cork and that Leinster humiliation by Westmeath.

Meath have had time to lick their wounds, wounds that sting ever more watching the Leinster campaign unveil the way it did - it certainly was an opportunity lost.

Intervening challenge matches against Wicklow, Mayo and Tyrone have hinted that there won't be wholesale changes to the Meath line up, there will be more of a change of approach.

The Meath players have not gone from All-Ireland semi-finals and NFL Div 2 winners just because of one bad performance against Westmeath, but they do need to be careful not to get too bogged down in that disappointing Leinster exit.

They proved last year after the disappointment of the Leinster SFC final loss to Louth that they have the character to bounce back, just like they did with wins over Cork, Kerry and Galway, they need to show that character again.

Time has helped on the injury front and players like Adam O'Neill, Mathew Costello and Ronan Jones could well be back in contention, but Saturday's game in Pairc Ui Rinn will not be about individuals, it will be about the collective, and that includes the supporters.

Meath fans need to keep the faith.

This still a young team, learning their trade at the highest level.

There will be bumps on the road, but hopefully that road will become a lot smoother down in Cork next Saturday.