Division 3A - Ballinabrackey, Bective/Dunsany, Moynalty/Carnaross, Oldcastle

Having won the Division 4 League earlier in the season, Ballinabrackey will come into the Championship high on confidence and in Sean Coffey they possess a player of high class who can light up any game. Free scoring forward Barry Thompson has been on fire for the Meath U-16 Development Squad in the Gerry Reilly Tournament and if he can bring the same scoring form to the Minor Championship then the 'Bracks will possess a forward who can keep the scoreboard ticking over against even the tightest of defences. Another from the club who has been lining out in that Gerry Reilly Tournament is Dean Pluck who has been between the posts and his accurate kickouts will be key for the team in green and gold as they look to make a positive impression in Division 3.

Division 5 was where Bective/Dunsany found themselves for the League but after winning it in a most impressive manner they now find themselves up in Division 3 where the altitude is that bit higher. Goalkeeper Charlie Savage showed in that Division 5 campaign that he is a smart shot-stopper while in Breen McCullough and Con Smith they have 2 forwards who will be very hard to keep quiet for the full hour of any game.

It came as a major surprise to many shrewd observers when in the League, Moynalty/Carnaross failed to qualify for the semi-final stages.  Whatever went wrong back in the springtime, the team will be looking to make amends now in the Championship and with players such as Cian McGlynn, Adam Reilly and Bryan McCormack within their ranks, a fruitful campaign has to be a realistic aim. Reilly, who was an ever-present on the Meath Minors will always win his fair share of possession around the middle third and if he can dominate the aerial battle in this area then it might just give his side the upper hand which would enable McCormack to showcase his scoring ability.

A club which has been flying at underage in recent years is Oldcastle and once more they will enter a Minor Championship in with a wonderful chance of lifting the trophy. Defeated in Millbrook by St. Peter's Dunboyne in the League semi-final earlier this year, they will enter the Championship as 1 of the more fancied outfits. In Pearse Sheridan, Conor Hetherton and Colin Hawdon they possess 3 excellent players who are capable of causing the best teams in the county problems. If they come away from Bective in Round 1 with a win then they will be nicely set up for a promising campaign.

Division 3B - Killary Emmets, St. Oliver's, St. Peter's Dunboyne, St. Vincent's/Curraha, Summerhill.

The first of the combination outfits in the group is that of Killary Emmets. The side which consists of players from the Castletown and Syddan clubs reached the Division 4 League Final back on Saturday April 21st, losing out to Ballinabrackey. A tough outfit who play and enterprising brand of football, they will be entering the Championship with a quiet confidence of being good enough to make the semi-finals. Meath Minor Killian Price will be a key operator for them and much will rest on his shoulders. A good start in Round 1 at home to St. Oliver's will be key to their aspirations.

St. Oliver's are something of a dark horse in this race. The North Meath youngsters had a solid if unspectacular League campaign but with their U-16's after having an impressive Summer League, the final of which they play next week, the atmosphere around the camp will be good. Harry Ryan, son of Meath Junior selector Vinny, is set to be a key operator for them and if he can bring his excellent form with the Meath U-16's into the club scene then it would be a major boost to his team.

Normally a club who would feature in the Division 1 preview, St. Peter's Dunboyne find themselves this year in Division 3. Numbers proved tight in the League but despite losing out in the decider to North Meath Gaels, they showed enough in that game to suggest that they will be there or thereabouts when it comes to winning the Championship. Semi-finalists in the recent Patrick Ward Tournament, where they gave Division 1 outfit Simonstown Gaels a fright, they have the makings of a side which will improve. Rumoured to have a few players back who missed the earlier part of the year as well which would add much needed strength in depth.

Operating in Division 2 in the League, St. Vincent's/Curraha found the air a bit too thin but dropping back down now to Division 3 it would come as no surprise to anybody were they to come with a bit of a charge. Led by the inspirational Conor Harford, they will pose a tough test for any opponent, with Masterson Park never an easy place to come away from with a positive result. They might not be capable of qualifying for the Cup semi-finals, but they possess all the necessary attributes to defeat any opponent on their day.

Summerhill are another club more accustomed to operating in the higher tiers, but this year find themselves in Division 3. Having lost out to eventual winners North Meath Gaels in the semi-final of the League they will feel that they have the raw materials necessary to win the Championship. The club's U-16 side also won the Division 1 Spring League in impressive fashion earlier in the year and with Jamie O'Shea and Adam McDonnell among their key players it would be no surprise to see them in the final. Should he line out for the Minors then Eoghan Freyne is a player who might just unpick a few defensive locks.

Predictions.

Group A Cup Semi-Finalists

Moynalty/Carnaross and Oldcastle

Group B Cup Semi-Finalists

St. Peter's Dunboyne and Summerhill.

Finalists

Moynalty/Carnaross and Oldcastle

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