Meath stay the same for Cavan clash

Plenty of heart and spirit needed for difficult assignment

Stay as you were. That's the message sent out by Meath manager Colm O'Rourke and his selectors as the team to face Cavan at Breffni Park tomorrow evening is the same as the side that started against Kildare last Sunday.

There were some aspects of Meath's display against the Lilywhites that will encourage Royal County supporters such as the composure and resilience they showed in the closing stages to see off their opponents and secure a 0-12 to 0-9 victory.

However, Meath supporters will also have been alarmed by the way players in green and gold conceded numerous turnovers, often needlessly gifting possession to their grateful opponents.

Cavan go into the game on the back of a 2-13 to 3-9 victory over Louth. It was, from all accounts, a win that had to be dug out of granite, the hard way.

Still, Cavan are one point better off than Meath in the table with three wins (over Kildare, Cork and Louth) from four games played. They only lost by a point to Donegal, 0-12 to 0-13.

O'Rourke's side have two wins (over Louth and Kildare) and one draw (against Fermanagh) from there four games with a heavy defeat (0-10 to 2-16) to Armagh also endured along the way.

"There's great effort and great heart and spirit among them as a group," O'Rourke said about his players after the Kildare game.

Plenty of that heart and spirit will be needed again tomorrow night in Breffni Park, 7pm.

The Meath team to face Cavan is:

Sean Brennan (Dún Doire)

Donal Keogan (Rath Coinnig)

Adam O'Neill (Bhulf Tón)

Brian O'Halloran (Baile Íomhair)

Ciaran Caulfield (Átha Troim)

Darragh Campion (Scrín)

Sean Coffey (Baile na Breacaighe)

Ronan Jones (Naomh Peadar Dún Bóinne) (Capt.)

Cian McBride (Naomh Ultain)

Daithí McGowan (Rath Tó)

Eoghan Frayne (Druim Samhraidh)

Jack O'Connor (Currach Átha)

Shane Walsh (Na Fianna)

Mathew Costello (Domhnach Seachnaill)

Cathal Hickey (Baile Sencaill)

Substitutes:

Billy Hogan (Maigh Dearmhaí)

Michael Flood (Naomh Bríd)

Michael Murphy (Naomh Peadar Dún Bóinne)

Adam McDonnell (Druim Samhraidh)

Brian O'Reilly (Naomh Mícheál)

Ruairí Kinsella (Domhnach Seachnaill)

Ross Ryan (Druim Samhraidh)

Keith Curtis (Rath Coinnig)

Aaron Lynch (Átha Troim)

Danny Dixon (Bórd an Mhuilinn)

Diarmuid Moriarty (Currach Átha)