Derry set to finish the job this time

The tables have been turned a little since the drawn Church & General final of two weeks ago. Now it's Meath who have the championship looming as a distraction and Derry who have a bit of time to kill. There's not much to suggest that the match will be played out any differently, but if there was an inhibiting factor two weeks ago (in other words, how hard would Derry have chased a deficit?), it's now more applicable to Meath.

The All-Ireland champions have other problems at the moment. Graham Geraghty's suspension has more serious implications for the championship but he is also a big-name loss for this evening. Beyond reputation, he did little enough on Sean Martin Lockhart in the drawn match and confirmed suspicions that tight marking disrupts his concentration.

Nonetheless both he and Derry's similarly suspended Eoin McCloskey will have served a higher cause if their fate signifies the start of an unforgiving attitude to the casual verbal abuse of match officials.

Uncertainties about which players are available has caused Meath to leave their announcement until before the throw-in. Tommy Dowd came back last week and is believed to be in consideration, but a strong perception in the county is that the former captain is unlikely to be a 70-minute player this summer.

Derry were the better team in the drawn match and the fact that it was still within the reach of Trevor Giles's free at the end was attributable to some poor finishing by the northerners. On top at centrefield and thriving in the creation of opportunities, their defence also had a good day.

Anthony Tohill's form was emphasised the last day and John McDermott will need to have come on a fair bit to counter that. Enda Muldoon and Dermot Dougan are an awkward central attack for any defence particularly one with a rehabilitating full back and, possibly, centre back if Enda McManus makes a comeback.

Most spectacularly, Kieran McKeever's rebirth as a wing back received formal recognition with as good a man-marking job on Giles as Cork's Owen Sexton managed last September. Meath got by on their survival instinct and the Ollie Murphy's clinical finishing. One mistake by the Derry defence and the umpire's waving a green flag.

Allowing that Meath have plenty of room for improvement, they will also need to be careful of themselves. With Geraghty out of the equation until the Leinster an final, if they reach it, Sean Boylan won't want any more players picking up needless suspensions or indeed injuries. What impact that has on the team remains to be seen but it's doubtful if they're going to be at full tilt.

Derry on the other hand will be less inhibited. The combination of these contrasting approaches gives Eamonn Coleman's team an edge which it is believed here they won't waste this time.