Geraghty would be happy to take any luck going on Sunday

CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 NEWS:WHEN GRAHAM Geraghty admits "a bit of luck" is required to win a Leinster football title – not only against Dublin – he knows exactly what he's talking about.

It could be argued that without luck Meath wouldn’t have won either of their last two titles, in 2001 and 2010 – with Geraghty playing a fortunate hand in their 2001 win over Dublin, when gift-wrapped a goal, the last time the old rivals met in the Leinster final.

“If we’re to win this one, on Sunday, we’d have to be in the game with 10 minutes to go,” says Geraghty. “After that, with a bit of luck, you wouldn’t know what would happen, but I don’t think it’s going to be a game like 1995, say, 10 points in it (in favour of Dublin).

“Well, I hope not, anyway. But I think our lads are really up for it. It should be a close enough game.”

Although still officially a player/selector under manager Séamus McEnaney, Geraghty will be restricted to sideline duties at Croke Park on Sunday, an Achilles tendon still inflamed since the start of the league: “I would love to be out there, and that’s the worst thing, being half right, but just not able to participate.

“But in some ways it has helped me focus more on being a selector. When you’d be taking part in training a small bit, you’d always be putting your selector cap on, looking at players instead of concentrating on your own game.”

Geraghty hardly needs reminding how close the whole Meath management came to being “removed” from their position following a vote of no confidence from county board chairman Barney Allen. He hardly disguises his disappointment at the way McEnaney was treated by some.

“There was probably one stage there when he was going to pack it in. The local media were on him, some supporters, and it takes a big man to stand up and say ‘I’ve started a job, so I’m going to fix it’.

“Football is football, but when it starts affecting your personal life as well, it’s tough to take. He stuck by the players. I think he has got his reward, has been vindicated a little bit as well.

“He has brought on the young players too which is good as well. Had he gone, I think it might have been too much of an upheaval, really. Over the last three or four years we’re chopping and changing managers the whole time. It’s not good for players.”

The important thing, says Geraghty, is no one in the Meath backroom team ever lost faith in the players, even after they were relegated from Division Two: “We started off the league very well, had a couple of good games, the turning point, really, was the game against Kildare, a game we should have won. I knew we weren’t that far away, but the confidence of players was shattered, really.

“But I knew they had it in them, and it was just a matter of getting it out of them. Séamus brought John Evans on board as well, probably one of the best coaches in the country. And Trevor Giles, who has a vital role with us, huge experience to have there as well.

“We’re delighted with where we are on Sunday but it’s down to a lot of hard work from players over the last number of months.”

Beating Dublin on Sunday, the reigning Leinster and All-Ireland champions, would lift the lid on Meath ambitions for the rest of the summer – at the start of it they had hardly any ambitions at all.

“Winning a Leinster title this year would be a massive bonus for us, but the future looks a little brighter than it did a few months ago. A lot of the younger players have come on, and with the minors in the Leinster final as well, we will be looking for some of those players to move into the panel the next year or two, so it all would be a massive boost for the county.”

As for any ill-luck or bad karma still lingering from Meath’s infamous win over Louth in the 2010 Leinster final, Geraghty is happy to laugh that off.

“Maybe it did overshadow winning a Leinster title, a little, the way we did it. But any time you win a Leinster title you’d take it, no matter what way it’s won. If we could win one on Sunday, with Joe Sheridan falling over the line again, we’d take it.”

Dublin v Meath – Last Five Championship Clashes:2010: Meath 5-9 Dublin 0-13 (Leinster semi-final); 2009: Dublin 0-14 Meath 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final); 2007: Dublin 0-16 Meath 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final replay); 2007: Dublin 1-11 Meath 0-14 (Leinster quarter-final); 2005: Dublin 1-12 Meath 1-10 (Leinster quarter-final); Last Five Leinster Final Clashes: 2001: Meath 2-11 Dublin 0-14; 1999: Meath 1-14 Dublin 0-12; 1996: Meath 0-10 Dublin 0-8; 1995: Dublin 1-18 Meath 1-8; 1994: Dublin 1-9 Meath 1-8. Played: 59; Dublin won 32 Meath won 9; Draws 8