Allianz National Football League Division One: Meath v Donegal (tomorrow, 2.30pm, Pairc Tailteann, deferred coverage on TG4)
WE’RE only one game in, and already it feels like Meath have to beat Donegal tomorrow in order to give themselves any chance of staying in the top flight.
It’s never easy for promoted sides to establish a foothold in Division One, even worse if you’re hit with injuries– and the Royals have been decimated.
Key forward Mickey Newman has been ruled out of the entire campaign after undergoing hip surgery, while Shane Walsh, Seamus Lavin, Padraic Harnan, Shane McEntee and Ethan Devine are also sidelined at the minute.
Injury was added to insult in last weekend’s opening day defeat to Tyrone when boss Andy McEntee lost first choice goalkeeper Andrew Colgan to a knee injury in the warm up.
Dominic Yorke was fast-tracked into his League debut but struggled on his kick-outs, leading to him being replaced by Barry Dardis at half-time. Dardis, who is normally a forward but played in goals during the O’Byrne Cup, struggled just as much as Yorke.
A below-par Tyrone passed up opportunities to punish Meath even further, with Yorke scrambling to save a Ronan O’Neill effort after fluffing a kick-out. Whoever starts between the sticks tomorrow is unlikely to relish coming up against a forward force as potent and Donegal’s – especially considering Paddy McBrearty could return to the fold.
The Kilcar ace has spent recent months in America but touched down on home soil last week. Declan Bonner says the game could come too soon, but it would be a major surprise if McBrearty doesn’t feature at some stage.
And the Tir Chonaill men could do with getting an early win on the board, especially having let slip the chance for a perfect start against Mayo. Seemingly coasting towards the finish line, injuries forced Neil McGee, Ryan McHugh and Caolan McGonagle out of the action in Ballybofey.
That left youngsters like Jack McKelvey, Conor Morrison and Andrew McClean to try and stem the tide as Mayo pushed hard late on, their lack of experience telling as James Durcan was allowed to burst through and slam home the late levelling goal for James Horan’s side.
It was an early season body-blow for Bonner, but he had positives to take into tomorrow’s game – not least the return to county colours of Eoghan ‘Ban’ Gallagher and the continued brilliance of goalkeeper Shaun Patton, while Niall O’Donnell was back at training on Tuesday night and comes into the frame for a start.
Their profligacy in front of the posts, especially in the first half when they converted just nine of 24 scoring chances, will be a concern – though McBrearty should help improve those numbers, even if there is a bit of rustiness.
Meath also passed up early opportunities in their game, with Cillian O’Sullivan and Ben Brennan both squandering goal chances before the Darren McCurry-inspired Red Hands took control.
Despite winning by five, Tyrone rarely had to get out of second gear; that is a major concern for McEntee. Last year they were blitzed by Donegal in the Super 8s, but McEntee will take some heart from the fact they should have beaten them in the League and were the better side in the first half of the Division Two final before Michael Murphy hit his stride
The big Glenswilly man, aided by McBrearty and Jamie Brennan, will lead the assault again tomorrow. After a stuttering start they need the win but, looking down the line, Meath need it more.
However, with their list of absentees and Donegal’s ability to split the posts from almost anywhere, it is hard to see how the Royals will be able to keep pace on the scoreboard. Donegal by five.
