Banty stands by decision to recall Geraghty
The decision to draft the 38-year-old back into the Meath panel after three seasons away from the inter-county scene prompted two of McEnaney’s selectors to resign shortly before the championship and heaped pressure on the first non-native to manage the county.
However, far from regretting that decision, McEnaney has consistently stood over the call and did so again yesterday when hailing Geraghty as the best player to have ever pulled on the famous green jersey.
“Graham Geraghty is in great shape,” said McEnaney. “He’s a brilliant influence on the panel. He’s very positive. Take it from me, he’s a very positive influence on the dressing-room and has given 100% to the set-up.”
And he is convinced that Geraghty is up to the demands of intercounty football. “It all depends on a lot of things, for everybody, and Graham Geraghty included. For me, I don’t care if a fella is 18 or 38, it doesn’t make any difference.”
McEnaney name-checked Offaly’s Ciarán McManus by way of making his point.
Now 35, the Tubber clubman scored four points for the midlands county against McEnaney’s former Monaghan side in Tullamore last Saturday night.
An Achilles heel injury prevented Geraghty from playing any part in Meath’s win over Louth that same evening, a result which McEnaney admitted came as a huge relief to everyone involved after recent events on and off the pitch.
“There’s no doubt about that. There was an element of relief for everyone in the dressing-room.
“This group of players have been working seriously hard. They’re very committed, their application is top class, their discipline is top class. Everything you would want from a group of inter-county players, these lads have been doing. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been transforming into performances but when they needed to put a performance in against Tyrone to stay in Division One they achieved it.”
Geraghty is expected to return to training this week and should be available for the next challenge, a home tie against Galway on Saturday week. So too should forward Stephen Bray and full-back Kevin Reilly, although centre-back Brian Menton has been ruled out.
With the ghost of Louth put to bed, Cian Ward coming off the back of a four-goal spree and Shane O’Rourke reborn in midfield, things are looking up for Meath who were locked down in full-on crisis mode last week.
“It shows the fickleness of the GAA more than anything else but the championship only started last weekend. “You had 20,000 at Clones, 20,000 in Breffni Park, 60,000 in Croke Park and there was nobody out of the championship until last weekend. We are at a stage now where winner-takes-all and that’s where you want to be, back to the old style of performing on the night or you’re out.”
The draw last Sunday night was a good one for Meath. Galway’s tradition should prevent any complacency but the Connacht side’s performance in Castlebar underlined how low the county’s fortunes have dropped.
McEnaney will know that as well as anyone having analysed the game for RTÉ Radio last weekend and, with Padraic Joyce and Michael Meehan still far from fit, the dice would appear to be rolling in Meath’s favour.
“It is one of the more high-profile draws in the qualifiers,” said McEnaney. “I suppose that is what you want, a good stiff challenge, and this is a very stiff challenge for Meath because if there is a team in the country that knows about the qualifiers it is Galway. People might underestimate Galway after last weekend but I certainly won’t be because they are one of the traditional teams in the country, one of the best footballing teams in the country.
“It is a difficult draw for Meath but one that we will look forward to.”
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