There are nine teams left in the race for the Meath SFC following the concluding round of group games over the weekend when holders Summerhill recovered from two defeats and a draw to advance to the knockout stages.

AIB ALL-IRELAND CLUB SFC FINAL:

Former League of Ireland player Shane Barrett turned in a remarkable display when powering Na Fianna into the semi-finals of the Meath SFC for the first time at Páirc Tailteann on Saturday.

The number of contenders for the Meath SFC title was reduced to nine following the final round of the group phase at the weekend — and 2011 champions Summerhill were among the big winners.

Meath champions Navan O’Mahonys strolled through to the county SFC quarter-finals with a 0-10 to 0-5 victory over Seneschalstown in yesterday’s fourth-round clash at Stamullen.

Damien Cahalane is the most notable inclusion in the Cork football side for Sunday’s McGrath Cup game with Cork IT.

This year’s Meath SFC final will be a repeat of the 2006 decider between Navan O’Mahonys and Wolfe Tones following yesterday’s semi-finals at Páirc Tailteann.

New Meath SFC kingpins will be crowned later this month after holders Summerhill lost out to Seneschalstown (2-8 to 0-10) in Saturday’s quarter-final at Skryne.

Simonstown Gaels booked their place in the last eight of the Meath SFC with victory over Walterstown (2-12 to 1-7) yesterday.

Champions Summerhill impressively advanced to the SFC quarter-finals with a 5-13 to 0-8 win over a poor Nobber side at Walterstown yesterday.

Two Meath forwards failed to convert penalties in the third round of the county SFC at the weekend but both of their sides gained victories to extend 100% winning records.

The Meath footballers have been given a timely boost with the news that full-forward Joe Sheridan is set to return to the Royals panel.

Gaelic Players’ Association (GPA) chiefs admit that Joe Sheridan’s decision to emigrate is a “stark reminder of how bad things are in the Irish economy”.

SEAMUS McENANEY’S appointment as Meath manager last winter may have stirred up a hornet’s nest at the time — and continues to do so — but ‘outside’ influences haven’t been confined to the man charged with guiding the senior footballers.

MEATH are unlikely to object to the Leinster Competitions Control Committee’s (CCC) recommendation to push back their club champions’ provincial opener by three weeks.

HOLDERS Skryne failed to make it through to the last eight of the Meath SFC despite defeating already qualified Dunboyne by 0-13 to 0-7 at Navan’s Páirc Tailteann on Saturday evening.

Meath senior football selectors Liam Harnan and Barry Callaghan have left the Royal County set-up.

LAST year’s beaten finalists and champions in 2009, Seneschalstown, went down to a shock Meath SFC defeat at Rathkenny last evening, promoted Nobber beating them 2-12 to 0-14.

A STORMING finish at Páirc Tailteann – albeit after a third quarter slump – saved Skryne’s blushes and booked them a Leinster club SFC quarter-final spot.

NEW Galway football manager Tomás O Flatharta hopes to have his backroom team in place in the coming weeks. The Kerryman, who has taken over from Joe Kernan for the next three years said he was really looking forward to the job and would have no problem combining it with his daytime profession as a business manager with AIB in Dublin.

There was plenty of county final action in Gaelic football and hurling yesterday, with nine finals down for decision - including six football deciders.

THEY don’t own the copyright on sporting drama in Meath but they might want to consider a visit to the patents office after a county football final that brought down the curtain on a memorable season.

MIDFIELDER Niall Coleman has emerged as a doubt for Galway’s Connacht semi-final showdown against either Mayo or Sligo next month after suffering a leg injury playing for his club yesterday.

GARETH SMITH insists he has no regrets about his decision to turn his back on his native Dublin in favour of Cavan, despite Pat Gilroy’s extensive sweep of the Leinster county for new talent.

FORMER Armagh attacker, Diarmaid Marsden, has welcomed Central Council’s ratification of the GPA’s formal recognition as a representative body of hurling and football players.

CREDIT to Seneschalstown for fighting the good fight for 30 minutes.

Portlaoise (Laois) 3-12 Seneschalstown (Meath) 1-6

Seneschalstown's Joe Sheridan believes that his side can beat Portlaoise in Saturday's Leinster Club SFC quarter-final, despite it being their third game in the space of a week.

BROTHERS Brian and Joe Sheridan kicked Seneschalstown to their second Meath SFC title in three seasons at Páirc Tailteann last night.

Seneschalstown 2-8 Wolfe Tones 1-8, Pairc Tailteann, Navan

Meath SFC Final: Wolfe Tones 1-13 Seneschalstown 1-13 aet

IT’S A measure of the impact one family has had on the club that Seneschalstown has gained the affectionate moniker Sheridanstown.

Portlaoise (Laois) 2-21 Mattock Rangers (Louth) 0-2

PLAYER power has prevailed in Meath and brought an end to the row between SFC holders Navan O’Mahony’s and Wolfe Tones.

Meath senior footballer Brian Sheridan was this afternoon crowned All-Ireland Kick Fada champion following a well-contested event at the Bray Emmets GAA club.

The draw for the 2008 oneills.com Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland Football Sevens was announced today at the launch at Croke Park.

IN CIVILIAN life Ephie Fitzgerald is a schoolteacher, a man who knows the value of learning a lesson. No surprise, then, that the Nemo Rangers manager drew on the experience of previous years for this season’s All-Ireland club campaign.

In the two Leinster Club Football quarter final replays the results are Dromard 0-12 Moorefield 0-12 (after extra time), and St Vincents 0-12 Seneschalstown 0-10.

There was controversy in Newbridge yesterday as the referee decided to play extra-time when Moorefield and Dromard finished level in the Leinster football quarter-finals.

WICKLOW SFC finalists Rathnew are ‘livid’ at the decision to deny them a potential place in the Leinster club football championship.

Graham Geraghty's chances of playing again for Meath seem limited after his team-mates decided at a meeting last night to keep the Seneschalstown forward in exile.

Graham Geraghty may have played his last game for Meath after the Seneschalstown forward became embroiled in a serious training ground bust-up in Navan on Saturday.

Seneschalstown star Joe Sheridan has left the Meath senior football panel, seeking a break from inter-county football due to a loss of form.

Laois chalked up their first win under new manager Liam Kearns this afternoon as they made use of a second half wind advantage to secure a 1-11 to 0-7 O'Byrne Cup first round victory over Kildare.

Niall McKeigue and Barry Lynch have come back into the Meath team for this evening's All-Ireland SFC third round qualifier against Laois (Pairc Tailteann, throw-in 6pm).

Carlow 0-12 Meath 1-17

1999 All-Ireland winning captain Graham Geraghty has been named at full-forward in the Meath team for Sunday's Leinster SFC first round clash with Louth at Croke Park (throw-in 2.00pm).