Meath v Kildare:THERE WILL be nice grudging edginess to this encounter. Border football squabbles always have that tension but Meath and Kildare are stubborn teams and both have every right to believe they can push onto the semi-finals.
Meath have kept the heads down and refuse to apologise for winning the Leinster championship in the mad-cap fashion that they did. The last seconds of their final against Louth was further proof that you don’t need to be born lucky if you are born Meath.
The Royals are masters at inventing ways to win. They have a confident bunch of forwards and a lethal finisher in Stephen Bray, a good midfield and a defence that, for all the criticisms, has conceded less than its opposition.
And they have Joe Sheridan. His late catch-and-roll over the Louth goal line won’t win him any fans in the Wee County but his hustle was the latest example of the fact that even when Meath are beaten they are never beaten.
Sheridan plays a crucial role in a forward line that is good at what forwards are meant to be good at: scoring. And he will be happy to get on the field again and put a few games between himself and that never-to-be-forgotten Leinster final.
Kildare have followed a pattern, starting slowly in the championship and steadily gaining momentum.
The commitment Dermot Earley has shown through a terribly difficult summer for his family has been emblematic of the sense of cause that the Lilywhites are playing with.
Both managers have named the unchanged sides for this quarter-final.
In the last episode:Three years ago, goals from Joe Sheridan and Darren Fay were enough to consign Kildare to a Leinster championship quarter-final defeat. Meath fell to Dublin in the following round but embarked on an impressive qualifying run which saw them knock Tyrone out at the quarter final stage before losing to Cork in the semi-final. But the Royals have been resilient in the championship since that summer.
On Your Marks: Joe Sheridan now holds the dubious distinction of scoring one of the GAA's All-Time Weirdest Goal – and there have been a few. The Seneschalstown man has had an interesting few years, electing to remove himself from the squad two seasons ago but showing fine form this summer.
Gaining Ground: Both sets of fans enjoy bragging rights to Croke Park when the Dubs aren't playing but it is home from home for Meath, who populate the Hill and belt out their Go-On-You-Boys-In-Green anthem through thick and thin.
You Bet: Kildare and Meath are quoted at evens. A draw is offered at 15 to 2.
Crystal Gazing: If they get into a shoot-out with Meath, they will lose, but Kildare have the capacity to suffocate the Meath forwards and boss the game. They ought to make it to their first All-Ireland semi-final under Kieran McGeeney.
