Meath have the advantage, insists Laois star Munnelly

ROSS MUNNELLY believes Meath will be favourites for their Leinster championship match on Sunday because The Royals have the benefit of a game under their belt.

The star Laois forward has been dogged by injuries this year but he thinks this young Laois side can take a major scalp in Croke Park.

“It’s going to be a massive test against a Meath side who have the benefit of a championship match two weeks ago and with a good win under their belt. From the 2003 squad (which won a Leinster title) there’s probably only three of us left. Thankfully, there’s an awful lot of people putting a lot of work into the underage system and we are going to reap the rewards. When we met in the league we had quiet a good game. It was 50/50 to the last ten minutes when Meath dominated towards the end. Hopefully it will be something similar but with a reversal and we’ll come out on top.”

Laois have won the last two championship outings between the counties, in 2004 and 2006, but it is unlikely that Sean Boylan would pay too much attention to such dog-eared results.

The former Meath manager doesn’t even hold much store in that league meeting which Munnelly touched on.

The championship and the league, according to Boylan, are like chalk and cheese.

“They know from having played Laois in the league that the Laois team they’re going to play (on Sunday) is going to be totally different, more like the Laois team that finished up against Down in the last match.

“They played very well that day (in Newry). At least eight of the squad that will be out next Sunday for Laois were not playing during the league. Meeting Laois will be hugely competitive. There is no question in the world about that and a lot will depend on how our fellas stand up to that pressure. You’d love to be on the inside track, what way is it going to be or whatever.”

Boylan enjoyed a very mixed relationship with Laois during his 23 years in charge of the Royals. In actual fact, he very nearly got the sack in his third season after a ten-points defeat to the O’Moore county.

A lucky Colm O’Rourke penalty two years later saw them sneak past Laois on their way to a first All-Ireland in 20 years and Boylan expects another tight encounter on Sunday.

“I suppose the one thing you’d have to say is, they took tremendous scores (against Offaly), great scores. They played very well in the middle of the park. The defence, it seemed to be under that bit of pressure, a bitvulnerable.

“Maybe it was the fact they were short Kevin Reilly and Cormac McGuinness and so on but theycertainly weren’t happy but they’ve had three weeks to try and correct that.”