Self analysis is one thing but outside noise must be silenced

(Filed for Meath Chronicle but unused)

Less than two weeks after stating that he was taking a break from football having completed six years as Meath senior football manager, Andy McEntee caught a lot of people – maybe even himself – off guard, by accepting a request to be Antrim manager.

When questioned by Mark Sidebottom of the BBC about the career U-Turn, my neighbour and friend, in typically succinct fashion, merely replied “I reserve the right to change my mind”!

That brief over and back returned to mind over the weekend in the context of Meath’s enthralling All Ireland MFC B victory over Galway on Friday evening.

It will be openly admitted that, this time last year, no sense could be seen in Meath playing Down at the same juncture in the same competition. Indeed, the point was vehemently made that surely the players would have been better off back with their clubs at that stage.

Evidently, there were plenty who held a similar viewpoint, because, when the young Royals did tackle the lads from the mountains of Mourne, there were more gulls, pigeons and crows in Pairc Tailteann than humans.

Mea Culpa. How wrong I was. For a variety of reasons. One, out of respect for the young man in whose name the Cup for the competition is presented.

For those of you who might not know, the Paul McGirr Cup honours a member of what was a wonderful Tyrone Minor team in 1997 who died from injuries sustained in a match against Antrim at Casement Park.

Beside that, though, any All Ireland title is hard won, whether it’s GAA or Scratch Cup Golf or Road Boles (Boccia to those of us on wheels). What’s more, as somebody around long enough to remember Meath losing at least three All Ireland MHC B Finals, the elation felt by those involved when they eventually got over the line personally be vouched for.

In the case of Joe Cowley’s charges here, they will no doubt have thought they didn’t do themselves justice in their Leinster campaign. Plus, they quite possibly could have had a chip or two on their shoulders. And they’d be well entitled to them too.

Having been done out of a perfectly good goal against Kildare and then seen a hideous free awarded against Nathan Reilly in the Offaly game which was eventually their undoing. As is often the case in these situations, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

However, the great pity is that yours truly probably wasn’t the only one who merely became aware of the fixture less than two hours before throw in time and purely by chance.

As it happened, having been to a meeting with a photographer on Friday morning, then onto Dunshaughlin on agricultural business, at the end of a week which also included a medical appointment and an airport run, I wasn’t about to ask herself – who drives enough for her own job as it is – to get behind the wheel again.

Mind you, it was for that very reason it was so disappointing that none of TG4, Clubber, GAA+ or even Meath Co Committee – who advertise a very rarely seen streaming service on their website – could plant a camera on a tripod somewhere and somebody with a mic beside it.

Meath opened the brighter as goals from Cillian Murphy and Sean Smyth enabled them to construct a lead of 2-05 to 0-06, before the Connacht team went on to dominate the remainder of the first half.

The frantic, seesaw nature of events continued from the off in Act II as the sides swapped scores – Will Byrne for Meath – before Charlie Gallagher made his first telling intervention when driving over a two pointer to put Joe Cowley’s charges back in front.

It was short lived though, as a Ryan Connolly goal tipped the scales the other way but again Meath were unwavered as Adam McEvoy and Smyth again tied up matters again, 2-11 to 1-14.

However, then Joey Cullinane goaled for Galway before points from Ciaran O’Toole left the green and gold looking like a comeback of Kevin Foley or Jody Devine proportions wouldn’t be enough to wriggle their backsides from the bacon slicer.

Until those Inches showed up. In the guise of the inches width of the crossbar which Jeaic O’Cuileann crashed a shot off Charlie Finnegan’s crossbar which would’ve buried Meath’s ambitions for another year.

Instead though, it was the 6ft 6in of young big Gally who pulled another long range missile from his repertoire before repeating the trick about 90 seconds later from even further out the field to dramatically get the locals back on level terms.

Extra time? Hold that thought. Some of those pesky inches knocked on the door again. The industrious Will Byrne, so often the conveyor belt from where good things come, found himself straight through on goal but, blinded by the headlights – or possibly the evening sun – went for the inches below the crossbar rather than over but was foiled.

Immense credit to the Simonstown Gaels youngster, undeterred, he instigated the rescue mission which culminated in interplay between himself and the outstanding Smyth having another go at beginning the redevelopment of the old ground as the score which completed one of the great Meath comebacks promulgated a roar that nearly lifted the roof off the stand!

It wouldn’t take Hawking-esque smarts to decipher that much of the motivation for Friday’s rousing Royal renaissance comes from within the walls of their own dressing room. Self analysis is one thing, but outside noise must be silenced. Nobody should question the commitment or dedication of anybody who takes on to look after any team, that’s why it was great to see manager Joe Cowley and his fellow mentors – Shane McAnarney, Finbarr Clarke and Ricky Nolan – rewarded for their efforts as their young charges put in a tremendous shift which will hopefully bring them on leaps and bounds too.

For the county’s senior footballers, the scenario is slightly different in that while Robbie Brennan might have to lift the lads somewhat given the manner in which they were so cruelly edged out by a free that never should been, being privileged to know a lot of the lads on the panel, such has been some of the dross written about them in the wake of their win over Dublin, they should be fit to take the dressing room door off its hinges next Saturday evening.

“Meath’s win over Dublin means nothing/everybody in that group knows they’ll beat Meath/Meath are out of their depth being here”. As the late John O’Mahony said at one stage during the ‘A Year ‘Til Sunday’ video – “There’s only one f*g answer to that”!