As if it wasn’t bad enough to surrender a 10-point lead and lose to your near-neighbours for the first time ever in Championship football on the Sunday, but to then be drawn against Tyrone on the Monday, surely it can’t get much worse for Meath supporters this weekend.
Tyrone have been far from devastating so far this year, relegated from Division One, beaten by Donegal and at times struggling against Limerick on Sunday, but they will no doubt provide Mick O'Dowd's team with a huge test of character. Worse still and the game is in Healy Park.
Two years ago these sides met in round four of the qualifiers in Croke Park where Tyrone had the edge in a great game which finished 2-9 to 0-17. With both teams hungry for success this could be another.
Elsewhere in the draw for Round 2B of the All Ireland football qualifiers which was made on RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Monday morning, Galway face Armagh, Derry take on Wexford and Tipperary meet Louth.
Wexford will look to repeat Saturday’s heroics against Down but can they pull off back-to-back performances at that level? Armagh avoid Tyrone for now, they face a Galway team who haven’t really kicked on this year but certainly have the talent to make this a long summer. Tipperary then will fancy their chances against Louth at home, but won’t want to take that for granted either.
Certainly the ‘B’ side of the draw appears to be the toughest route with two Division One sides and what will next year be three Division Two sides. There are no Division One sides in the ’A’ route where the eventual winners of round three will meet the Munster or Leinster runners-up. As opposed to the B side where the Ulster and Connacht runners-up will enter in Round 4.
Round 2B football qualifiers:
Derry v Wexford
Tyrone v Meath
Tipperary v Louth
Armagh v Galway
The ties will take place on Saturday July 11th and first team has home advantage.
The draw for Round 2A (made last week and to take place this coming weekend):
Antrim v Fermanagh
Offaly v Kildare
Clare v Longford
Cavan v Roscommon
