WITH the dust having settled on the drama of two weeks ago, both sides will be keen to reflect on the positive aspects on their own performances and both will see tomorrow's contest as one in which there is still very much everything to play for.

Although they will have been the more deflated of the two sides immediately after the original contest, Mayo will have shaken off that disappointment and, when they take time to go through their performance, they will have been pleased with the way they completed so well in key areas of the pitch.

Having gone into the original game as considerable outsiders they will have surprised many with the tenacity of the approach and, despite allowing their lead to slip away late on when they really should have been digging their heels in for victory, they will not have any remaining doubts about their on abilities to cope with their opponents tomorrow.

In several important departments, Mayo's players came way from last Sunday week's battle with enhanced reputations and they will look to build on those performances this time around.

Liam McHale, in particular, gave a fine display in midfield for the Connacht side. David Brady, who missed the semi final against Kerry, gained valuable experience from his outing two weeks ago and Mayo will hope that he can provide McHale with even better support this time around.

Meath too, of course, will be looking for considerable improvement in several areas of the pitch and there is no denying that, for at least half of the last game, they turned in a performance that was well below the sort of standard which they had previously shown themselves to be capable of.

Too much, however, has been made of their late match demolition of Tyrone who, it must be said, surrendered somewhat in the closing stages and while their supporters have tended to put pressure on the Meath players by repeatedly citing that game as an example of their superiority, several prominent members of the panel have been anxious to play their margin of victory down.

Sean Boylan will have been keenly aware of the need for improvement from his side this time in the middle of the field if they are to prosper and his decision to bring Colm Brady in at corner forward would seem to be an attempt to address their problems there.

It is not the only area of the pitch where Mayo have the ability to physically dominate their opponents but it is where they had the most success last time and, with Jimmy McGuinness simply unable to cope with the height of McHale, Brady's experience at breaking the ball away from players rather than trying to compete with them on their own terms should bring an improvement.

Meath are, of course, not lacking in physical strength themselves but the fact that their tackling during the Tyrone game attracted so much attention may have cramped their style somewhat and they will be more at ease with the way they are going to go out and play the game this time.

They will be looking to get drown to business from the throw in this time and they will know that will require performances from players who didn't reach their potential last time out.

Brady's arrival should also help to achieve this for the Leinster champions who need, in particular, to do better against Mayo's full back line.

The space left behind by Brady's switch should benefit their overall attack by presenting Brendan Reilly with plenty of opportunity to use his pace to greater effect while I would also expect a considerable improvement from Barry Callaghan in this outing.

Behind them, Graham Geraghty, like John Casey for Mayo, mad actually benefit from toe more realistic expectations that his showing in the first match will generate while Tommy Dowd, who saw more of the ball in the last game but who has tended to look a little short of confidence when kicking for scores will need to be more positive with the chances that come his way.

He may find himself having to cope with the attentions of James Nallen this time, however, as the centre back is unlikely to settle for being pulled all over the pitch by Trevor Giles again this time. His forward runs through the centre have been of vital importance to Mayo throughout the summer and the only way that he can position himself to make a positive contribution this time will be by abandoning his attempts to stay with one man and adopting a more orthodox role in the centre of the halfback line.

Another man who might look to curtail his wandering for the good of his team is Colm McManamon. His mobility in the last game was a tremendous asset for Mayo but it came at a price and this time he may try to keep Enda McManus better occupied so that the quality of the ball being sent in towards Casey can be substantially improved.

It was the Charlestown forward's inability to make an impact two weeks ago that was the greatest disappointment of the day for Mayo and John Maughan will be determined that he be helped to do better at the second attempt.

To Casey's right, David Nestor must be disappointed to have been dropped from the side but he too struggled to make an impression last time and, in Anthony Finnerty, Maughan has somebody with the proven ability to score at this level. For his part Nest or can at least take some consolation from the fact that he is likely to make an appearance from the bench at some point in the proceedings.

Overall then, both teams will approach the game with the feeling that there is still everything to play for and with the two sides knowing each other so well at this stage it all looks so tight that the outcome could end up hinging on a single piece of luck or outstanding skill.

Whichever forward unit can benefit from that sort of break and get the vital goal should come out on top and, while it could go either way, on balance it is Meath who look to have slightly greater potential to make the decisive breakthrough.