Meath managerial crisis: Both parties to the current Meath football management dispute were in Newtowncashel on Saturday for a challenge against Longford. However, neither offered any indication as to how tonight's crucial county board meeting will go.
The Meath chairman Fintan Ginnity was at the Cashel club's grounds in south Longford for the official switching on of the club's new floodlights - the fifth of the county's 24 clubs to install such a system. However, he left shortly after the throw-in to attend his club's dinner dance in Kells.
Team manager Eamonn Barry remained tight-lipped on the issue when he was approached by the media, both before and after the game. He was only willing to discuss his "experimental" side's performance. His brother Martin - another party to the dispute - was also in Cashel, who he managed for two seasons, but was reluctant to comment.
Barry fielded a very young side and despite losing by four points (2-10 to 2-6) they stood up well to the challenge of a Longford team peppered with new recruits.
At corner forward, Ruairí Maguire was most prevalent for the Royals with 1-1 on the scoresheet. In the other corner, Daithí White also staked his claim with a point in each half, while under the close watch of Longford's Cathal Confrey.
Luke Dempsey selected a fresh Longford forward line and from these it was Willie Murray who most eagerly rose to the occasion. He confidently converted four frees, and another point from play. David Barden returned to wing forward and did well to take his goal while surrounded by Meath defenders. His brother Paul came forward throughout the tie, but had to settle for just a single point. Kevin Mulligan slotted nicely into centre forward and came away with 1-1.
Nether side will read too much into the result, with both management teams happy to experiment for now. However, the question remains as to whether Barry will still be in a position to pick the team after tonight.
Meanwhile, former Meath manager Seán Boylan has said the structure of the club championship in the county desperately needs to be changed.
"I told the members of the executive (in 2001) that it could be 10 years before Meath won a Leinster championship again unless they changed the format," said Boylan at the weekend. "I realised the intention of it, but there were 66 games in the Meath championship this year."
LONGFORD: D Sheridan; C Confrey, D Corcoran, C MacEoin; D Brady, M Kelly, D Reilly (0-1); P Barden (0-1), M Lennon; D Barden (1-0), K Mulligan (1-1), S Short (0-1); W Murray (0-5, four frees), T Nolan (0-1), M McDonnell. Subs: A Dalton for McDonnell, A O'Connor for Lennon (both half-time), V Bohan for D Barden (47 mins), D Glennon for Kelly (58 mins).
MEATH: J Curry; J Bruton, D O'Halloran, C McGill; M Mulvaney, R Farrelly, R Kearns; W Reilly, JB O'Reilly; G McCullagh, M Kennedy, N Mooney; D White (0-2), C Brennan (1-0), R Maguire (1-3, 0-2 from frees). Subs: I O'Dowd for Mooney, P Curran (0-1) for W Reilly (both half-time), A Sheehan for Farrelly (43 mins), A Reynolds for Mulvaney, P Collier for McGill, J Gagan for Bruton (both 53 mins), R Nolan for Curry (55 mins).
Referee: P Fox (Westmeath).
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