KEVIN REILLY BELIEVES Meath are in “a better place” this year as they bid to dethrone Dublin at the third time of asking.
One of the GAA’s biggest rivalries writes its latest chapter on Sunday as the Dubs and Royals meet in the Leinster Senior Football final for a third straight year.
In keeping with the recent history between the neighbours, the spoils of the last two battles went to the capital, taking their haul to eight provincial crowns in nine years.
But last summer, in Mick O’Dowd’s first year in charge, there was a strong whiff of a shock in the Croke Park air.
Meath led by two points at the break and, despite Dublin’s second-half revival, were still within three points until Paul Mannion killed the game with a goal 10 minutes from time.
The Dubs went on to lift the All-Ireland title for the second time in three years while Meath were left to count the cost of a near miss.
“Dublin are quite a strong team and they have proven it time and again,” Reilly said ahead of Sunday’s return to Headquarters.
“They are All-Ireland champions and probably favourites for this year as well but we’re going to be doing our absolute best and we’ll be doing whatever we can to push them every second of the way.”
After gaining promotion in the league last season, Meath very nearly repeated the trick again this spring but narrowly missed out on a place in Division 1.
Once the Championship started they hit the ground running and put seven goals past Carlow in a one-sided walloping before beating Kildare by five points in the Leinster semis.
“I suppose in our development we are a year and a half down the line from when Micko took over, and this new squad has been built or is in the process of being built,” Reilly explains.
A lot of guys have a lot more experience than they did last year. A good few have come through and are playing a division higher. So we are in a better place.
Their challenge has been hit by long-term injuries to two key men, Eamonn Wallace and Conor Gillespie.
There was better news for Reilly who has been carrying a knee injury himself since the Kildare win. He is expected to be fit for Sunday, as is Brian McMahon, while Mickey Newman is in line to return after he missed the semi-final with a hamstring injury.
After laying down markers against Carlow and Kildare, the test now for Meath is to do it consistently.
“If I was to take a step back and look at the bigger picture, we are playing a nice brand of football and it seems to be working,” Reilly said.
“We are trying to build a consistency within the squad. For years we had the potential to win any game but the next game we might go out and be beaten. We just weren’t consistent and I think consistency is key for further development and progress.
“As long as we are getting results I’m happy.
It seems to be a selfless brand of football which is very important. It doesn’t happen all too often where lads are willing to give their best for the greater good.
The 2010 Leinster final win against Louth, still shrouded in the controversy of Joe Sheridan’s infamous goal, remains the only medal of Reilly’s senior inter-county career.
Twice in the last two years, Meath have fought their way to the provincial decider; twice they have found a Dublin side that were too good.
Beating their old rivals this weekend would be extra sweet. Will it be third time lucky?
“These opportunities don’t come around too often,” Reilly says in a message he is bound to deliver to the younger members of the Meath panel.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to contest three out of four Leinster finals in the last few years but before that, we didn’t get near, we didn’t get close.
You definitely have to give it absolutely everything you have for as long as you have that opportunity because you don’t know when the next one is going to come.
“There are quite a few young guys who have plenty more years ahead of them but who’s to say they are going to be spent contesting Leinster finals. It just doesn’t happen like that.
“You do have to seize the moment.”
