Allianz Football League Division Two: Meath v Down (tomorrow, 2pm, Páirc Tailteann)
WHOEVER is walking out of Páirc Tailteann empty handed tomorrow could well be walking into the Tailteann Cup in a few months’ time.
With everything that happened in the closed season, and the fact they had Derry and Galway in their first two games, Down were widely expected to be in this position.
Meath were not.
Albeit cannon fodder, it was still a Division One campaign in 2020, followed by some surprise that they lost a promotion playoff to Kildare last year. Their trajectories have gone in very different directions since.
There was some kerfuffle about Andy McEntee staying in charge, but it probably told more about the back-room machinations in Meath than their front-of-house team.
Their incredible second half in the Leinster semi-final, where they reeled Dublin back in from 11 points to three and were denied what looked a clear penalty, pointed towards further progress.
But almost three full months later, Meath county board decided to take a vote on his future. McEntee – who will be suspended from the line this weekend after a red card in the defeat by Roscommon – survived the vote.
Had he lost it, they would have been in a managerless mess and heading into November, which brings us back to Down.
It’s hard to know what to make of the early weeks of James McCartan’s reign. Results have been what they’ve been. Performances have been of the rusty variety, but with just enough light let in to suggest that their fate will be determined where you always felt it would be, in the final few games.
They wouldn’t have expected to be going to Navan tomorrow with the ambition of using Meath’s shoulders for leverage out of trouble.
In powerful goalscoring midfielder Bryan Menton and rock-solid full-back Conor McGill, Meath have suffered two huge losses for at least the medium term.
James McEntee is suspended after his own red card in the same melee that saw his uncle ordered to the stands, though they should have Cathal Hickey and Shane Walsh back.
Having chosen to play against the wind in the first half, they found themselves 1-9 to 0-0 down against Galway.
A week later, Roscommon were 1-13 to 0-4 up at the break. A late rally cut the margin back to four in the end, but it flattered only Meath.
Even with a two-pronged attack of Jordan Morris and Cillian O’Sullivan – who’s caused particular trouble for Down in comfortable 2018 and 2021 victories – they haven’t been anything close to firing yet.
The Royals’ predicament makes this a real opportunity for Down.
There’s no doubting where their troubles lie. Their total of just 0-15 scored over two games is second-worst in the four divisions to only the Offaly team propping up this division.
They’ve been trying to play a bit more expansively. Some of their wind-assisted football against Derry and Galway (particularly in the third quarter) has been decent.
But their late start to training has shown on the legs in heavy conditions that are likely to continue tomorrow.
Their inability to get bodies up in support of Barry O’Hagan is leaving the Clonduff man bearing an enormous weight on his shoulders.
They’re kicking it to him and finding him. He’s winning it, but he’s often isolated and having to conjure up a piece of magic to get his team a white flag.
He’s named to start in a team that includes the returning Pat Havern and unsurprisingly none of the Kilcoo contingent after a week's celebrating.
Though if suggestions that O’Hagan is carrying a knock that makes him doubtful for this game have any weight, then Down are in trouble again.
Meath’s style and pace in recent seasons has been something akin to Down’s kryptonite when they’ve met.
Even when they’re struggling, if the threat of goals finds its way into the game tomorrow, even one green flag could lift Meath out of their strife and leave Down deeper in theirs.
