Barry gives ‘something different’ to Meath

GRAHAM Geraghty is enjoying the Eamonn Barry revolution in the Royal County and believes Meath can build on their weekend O’Byrne Cup Final victory over Offaly.

Said Geraghty: "It's grand to get back into training. If I don't get back (in the team) at this time of the year I have no chance later in the year. I suppose age is catching up with me! Eamonn has done well since he came in. It's something different for us all.

"He is giving everyone a chance and it's working well for us at the moment. If you go back through the years, the O'Byrne Cup is the first competition Sean Boylan won. If he does as well as him we'll be happy.''

But he stresses that there is still much work to be done.

"We're still re-building and getting better in every game. Sunday was a big test for us. Offaly came very well in the second half and we did very well to hang on and get two goals at the end to pull away. These are the types of games you want to bring the team on.

"It's hard to say at this stage if Meath will be more competitive in the championship than we were last year. I think we can, but it all depends on how we go in the League. It we get a good run, it'll ease us into the championship. Things are looking well at the moment but we have an awful lot to do yet."

Barry was pleased with Meath's first-half performance claiming it represented their best 35 minutes of football since he took over.

"We put some great passing movements together and kicked some fabulous scores. I have got a huge response from the players and more so from the general public. You could see from the crowd that there is a bit of pride and passion back in Meath football.''

Playing his part in helping to create that climate is former player Jody Devine, who showed great loyalty to Sean Boylan playing big parts in many of Meath's triumphs while rarely commanding a starting place.

"When Eamonn asked me to come on board, I thought about it long and hard before deciding to give it a go,'' he explains.

"We started in November with trial matches and it has been going quite well. A lot of the lads put in a lot of work, even over Christmas. Winning the O'Byrne Cup is a just reward.

"We had 50 lads in at the start and we tried out a different 15 in every game. We wanted to have a look at fellows and give them a trial. The pace of the game compared to club football is a lot different.

"We reduced the squad then and brought in 22/23 fellows who are more established, who were on the panel last year. They are blending in well together in training.''

Devine says he had no difficulty in accepting the change of management, commenting: "life goes on. Eamonn got the job and he has his own ideas and his own plans. For fellows who have been on the panel before, like myself, the likes of Graham (Geraghty) or whoever who had been with Sean for so long, things are different. That's his (Eamonn's) way.

"That's the way he wants it done. I think everyone now is starting to row in behind that. It's showing the type of game he is trying to play. We played some good football against Offaly. The last few Sundays have been great. They were better than challenges, good competitive games.