It's BACK.
After a few too many months of idle chat about structures, player/coach contracts, and Splitting Longford in the interests of a fair Leinster Championship*, GAA fans were released en masse across the country today with the return of the league.
(*denotes artistic licence).
The long, bleak mid-winter is anathema to the GAA fan, what with its lack of inter-county hurling and football insistence of screening lads in the Premier League wearing gloves in warm weather, with little to do but stew on the optimism of the spring.
Meath fans have found great solace in such optimism over the off-season, with the appointment of Andy McEntee as manager triggering hope that the Royals would be the prime candidates to depose Dublin in Leinster.
That might still happen, but today's Division Two result at home to Kildare portends something very different. Meath were 1-02 to 0-00 down after four minutes, and things didn't improve a whole lot from there, bar a brief rally to narrow the half-time deficit to six. Meath eventually lost by ten points, on a scoreline of 3-17 to 0-16.
Mattie Kerrigan was on commentary duty with LMFM, and ended the game exasperated:
"Meath's midfield is being absolutely annihilated" says Mattie Kerrigan on LMFM.
— LMFM RADIO (@LMFMRADIO) February 5, 2017
"Meath looked out of their depth," is Mattie's stark summation of the loss to Kildare.
— LMFM RADIO (@LMFMRADIO) February 5, 2017
Here's the Meath Chronicle's doleful summary:
It looks set to be a long spring for Meath as they opened their NFL Div 2 campaign with a disaapointing 0-16 to 3-17 loss to Kildare in Pairc Tailteann today....
...Meath were totally disjointed. They lost Mickey Burke to a black card and were then denied what looked like a certain penalty when O'Sullivan was hauled down.
The journos present agreed that Meath were, largely, useless.
Kildare 3-17 Meath 0-16. Kildare were pretty sharp. Meath were not.
— Malachy Clerkin (@MalachyClerkin) February 5, 2017
FT: Kildare 3-17
Meath 0-16
Kildare completely dominant against a very poor Meath side.— Donnchadh Boyle (@depboyle) February 5, 2017
There was a weariness among the Meath supporters in reaction to such a heavy beating, which occasionally veered toward despair.
Add a Meath loss to an already hopeless weekend #nationalleagues
— Pádraig Gaffney (@podgegaffney) February 5, 2017
Oh no. Ireland lose to Scotland & now meath have lost to kildare. What a weekend 🙈 thank God athletics is back..
— Sara Treacy (@sara_treacy) February 5, 2017
Kildare 3-14 to 0-15. Meath fan says 'if Kildare hadnt scored the 3 goals, we'd be ahead'. Big if....
— Seán 🇺🇦 (@Toby__Don) February 5, 2017
Great win for Kildare today. Kelly, Feeley and Moolick all excellent. Worst Meath team I ever saw. Lucky to be beaten by just 10 points.
— Seán 🇺🇦 (@Toby__Don) February 5, 2017
Kildare were favourites to get relegated this year, if Meath play like they did today well be relegated shocking game
— Jayo (@jamielawler32) February 5, 2017
Great stuff by Kildare. So much for the strangely over-exuberant Meath optimism.
— Cormac O'Malley (@cormacpro) February 5, 2017
Meath's next game is at home to Derry, throwing in at 3pm next Sunday.
See Also: 'I Can Tell You There Were A Few Fucks And Blinds Directed At Tomás'
