1. Venue furore unlikely to effect players
At official level, there’s been some disquiet over the venue for tonight’s decider with Meath exasperated that the game is taking place at a neutral venue and suspicious of Dublin not opting to toss for home advantage.
But while O’Moore Park’s wide spaces may indeed suit Dublin, there’ll be enough edge to this game without the spice of a venue row. Some supporters may be hindered by the location on a Wednesday night yet it’s unlikely to impact on either side’s level of performance.
2. Meath finally back in U21 big time
It’s been 13 years since Meath last contested a Leinster U21 final, triumphing in 2001 by 0-10 to 0-5 against Dublin. Since then they have failed to reach a provincial decider, a trend that has been a serious obstacle to the county’s football development.
Eight other counties have been involved in Leinster U21 finals since 2001, Dublin for example have featured in seven showpieces in that time frame. It’s been too long a wait for Meath and returning to this stage is a major boost.
3. Dublin wary of heavy favourites tag
With the quality of U21 players at their disposal and the amount that have shone on the senior stage, Dublin have been warm favourites to land this Leinster U21 crown from the outset. McCaffrey, Carthy, Lowndes, Costello and Mannion are serious operators in this grade.
They will be in a mood to dominate and claim the county’s fourth title in six years. Yet there will be caution on the back of the shock exit their gilded side suffered last year at this level against Longford. They’re 1/6 favourites to win the provincial crown but need to be focused to ensure that happens.
4. Cruciate injuries rule out key players
At the outset of this campaign, Dublin’s U21 plans would have heavily involved Ciaran Kilkenny. He has the exalted standing of an All-Ireland senior winner and in his last year being eligible for this grade, Kilkenny would have been seriously keen to succeed. 0-5 in the opener against Carlow indicated his value.
Eamon Wallace may not have the senior honours of Kilkenny but his exposure to the elite level ensured he was an equally vital cog in the Meath machine. An elusive corner-forward with blistering pace, Wallace was a serious attacker at manager Sean Barry’s disposal.
But both players will be watching on tonight after torn cruciates brought their 2014 seasons to a halt. Kilkenny suffered his in a senior league game against Kildare, Wallace did his in an U21 tie against Louth. Both counties survived their semi-final ties without those key men but who will cope best tonight?
5. Battles may benefit Meath
Dublin weren’t exactly tested against Carlow in their opener, having a whopping 31 points to spare at the finish. They then beat Longford by ten points in a game where they frittered away opportunities to go further ahead.
In contrast Meath have had their battles and that may benefit them. A pulsating 80-minute clash against Louth ended level after extra-time. They had to work to win the replay and their semi-final against Offaly featured a hard-fought first-half before Meath upped the ante after the break. They’re battle-hardened before facing their biggest challenge yet.
