MEATH's request to postpone their All Ireland under 21 clash with Cavan next Sunday has been rebuffed. In an expected move, the Games Administration Committee of the OAA turned down the request.

Meath sought the postponement on the basis that seven of the county's senior panel - five of the starting line up - are involved in the under 21 team. The county did not want to have those players play such an important game three weeks before their All Ireland senior clash with Mayo.

Meath's failure to achieve a postponement follows an earlier rebuff to Wexford's hurlers. Wexford requested a postponement of their under 21 hurling semi final against Antrim - which they won last weekend - on the basis that a number of their senior players were in danger of injury two weeks before their All Ireland clash with Limerick. In the event Wexford did not play their senior players last Saturday.

Yesterday's refusal by the GAC to accommodate Meath has been greeted with huge disappointment within the county. An appeal against the decision is not ruled out. If Meath are to give themselves realistic chance against Cavan they could not, like Wexford, feel free to leave key players out of their side.

Meath's senior and under 21 managers, Sean Boylan and Christy Moore, were left to count their wounded yesterday. Of the senior players committed to Sunday's under 21 match, four of them are nursing injuries, a factor which has caused Moore to abandon any attempt at naming his side until later in the week.

Trevor Giles went into last Sunday's game with an ankle strain and is reckoned to be the most seriously affected of the wounded quartet. Also doubtful are Paddy Reynolds (ankle), Brendan Reilly (ribs) and Barry, O'Callaghan (leg).