On Saturday afternoon, the 115th Meath senior hurling championship final takes place when four-in-a-row chasing Kiltale take on Kildalkey in the decider. 

By Stephen Reilly

Pairc Tailteann is once again the venue for the showpiece of Meath hurling as the top two teams in the county go head to head. They already met in the opening round of the campaign and on that occasion it was Kiltale that triumphed on a scoreline of 1-19 to 2-10 and in reality, a six-point defeat somewhat flattered Kildalkey that day.

This is also a repeat of the 2015 SHC final when Kiltale triumphed also (2-15 to 0-12). However, Kiltale have suffered one defeat in competitive action this year and that was a league encounter back in May when incidentally Kildalkey defeated them by 3-12 to 0-16.

That won't count for much this Saturday, but the Kildalkey management would do well to remind their players that their opponents are beatable regardless of the competition.

There is no doubt that Kildalkey are up against it this weekend and the bookies have the defending champions at 1/3, while Kildalkey can be backed at 13/5.

The Kiltale squad that defeated Kilmessan in the semi final

Many would say that is a fair reflection of the gap between the sides and it is hard to argue against it going on current form. While, neither outfit set the 'Pairc' alight in their respective semi-final, Kiltale never looked like losing against Kilmessan, but Kildalkey were pushed to the pin of their collar against Dunboyne in what can only be described as a drab affair, but semi-finals are for winning and that's all that mattered on the day.

The majority of the hurling fraternity in the county have written Kildalkey's chances off from the start and predicted that Kiltale are dead certs, but is there such a thing as a dead cert in sport, many a gambler would testify against.

Injuries have hampered their campaign also as both Derek and Francis Doran have been sidelined with long term injuries, although 'Duxie' is not far off a comeback, while David Connelly is in a race against time to prove his fitness after he suffered a broken collarbone in the quarterfinal win over Ratoath.

Kiltale have a clean bill of health but Mark O'Sullivan was only introduced as a second half substitute for Moynalvey in the SFC last weekend, and he is believed to be carrying a knock, but he should start.

Nonetheless, for Kildalkey to add to their tally of four SHC's, they need a lot of situations to go their way against a Kiltale side that has added stability and familiarity to their game.

In that, I mean, their manager Cathal Sheridan and his selectors have come in and have used the same 17/18 players all year. There has been little if any change to their side throughout the campaign and this has added to their game as all the players seem to be on the same wave length.

The Kildalkey squad that overcame Dunboyne in the SHC semi final

So how do Kildalkey beat them? There are three key battles that if Johnny Greville's charges can win then they have a chance of lifting the Jubilee Cup.

Philly Garvey has come in and filled the void left by Padraig Donohue at full back this year. Garvey has looked assured and comfortable in the position, but he hasn't truly been tested yet.

One man capable of doing that is an in-form Paddy Connelly who on his day is a match winner as he proved in the semi-final against Dunboyne and the group game against rivals Killyon. On both occasions, Connelly was sprung from the bench and turned the games on their heads.

The talented forward is almost certain to come in from the start on Saturday and if he can produce what he is capable of, then Garvey could be in for a torrid time.

The midfield battle is another key area that if Kildalkey can win, would be a massive boost to their chances of causing an upset. In Anthony Forde and Padraig Kelly, they have the best midfield partnership that has been seen in the county for some time.

The duo have developed an excellent understanding between each other and the compliment each other's style. Kildalkey have chopped and changed in this area throughout the year with the youthful duo of Evan Fitzgerald and Brin Kelly bossing that middle sector in the semi-final win over Dunboyne.

Kiltale manager Cathal Sheridan

Fitzgerald, in particular was excellent in that game, chipping in with 0-04 from play. However, to throw the two youngsters in against such an experienced duo could well be a disaster.

Kildalkey need a bit of experience in midfield and it baffles me why Sean Heavey has not played there more this year. The former Meath captain by his own standards is not having the best of years and he has been played corner forward on more than one occasion, but his experience in the middle of the park would be invaluable against the Forde/Kelly combination. Also Heavey would bring some physicality to that central battle and he would 'mix it' with the Kiltale duo.

The third key battle that Kildalkey must win is that at centre back where Podge Geoghegan is likely to come up against Cathal McCabe who is arguably the defending champions' most important player.

Yes, Kiltale have forwards like James Kelly, Jack Regan and Peter Durnin who will score for fun and although Kelly's workrate around the field is excellent, McCabe is a different type of player.

He is an old fashioned centre forward in the mould of Kilkenny's John Power. His movement, ability to win dirty ball and general making a nuisance of himself against the opposition have made him an integral part of this successful side.

Kildalkey manager John Greville

Forde and Padraig Kelly may take the plaudits for their direct running at defences, but it is generally McCabe who has made the space for the initial run and this is where Geoghegan will have to use all of his experience. He has to hold his position and block those runs, but he will need the help of his team mates to do so.

Two years ago in the county final, Kildalkey tried to play the sweeper system against Kiltale and it simply didn't work as the scoreline suggests, so they have to come up with a plan to combat those runs.

Kildalkey have a good blend of youth and experience and they won't be found wanting in the determination stakes this Saturday. As stated, they need a number of factors to go their way, but there is a swagger about Kiltale this year that suggests that they are looking beyond a fourth consecutive county title and eyeing up provincial glory.

Verdict: Kiltale

Paths to the Final
Kiltale
31/05/17 Round 1    Kiltale  1-19 : 2-12  Kildalkey    
15/06/17 Round 2    Kiltale  1-19 : 0-14  Killyon    
05/07/17 Round 3    Kiltale  8-16 : 0-10  Blackhall Gaels
27/07/17 Round 4    Kiltale  3-26 : 0-07  Boardsmill
21/08/17 Round 5    Kiltale  W/O  : SCR Dunderry    
16/09/17 SF             Kiltale  2-17 : 0-15  Kilmessan    

Kildalkey 
31/05/17 Round 1    Kildalkey  2-10 : 1-19    Kiltale    
19/06/17 Round 2    Kildalkey  3-23 : 0-03   Dunderry 
06/07/17 Round 3    Kildalkey  0-21 : 1-11    Boardsmill    
30/07/17 Round 4    Kildalkey  1-16 : 2-12    Killyon
21/08/17 Round 5    Kildalkey  0-20 : 1-12    Blackhall Gaels    
02/09/17 QF             Kildalkey  2-14 : 0-11    Ratoath    
16/09/17 SF              Kildalkey  1-12 : 0-14    St Peter's, Dunboyne    

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