All Ireland SFC Qualifiers: Eamon Barry is a survivor. After the rookie season he has undergone in succeeding Seán Boylan as Meath manager, he would want to be. The initial daunting task was inheriting a team too young to compare with the great Royal sides of yesteryear.

Sure, Graham Geraghty still leads the line and Anthony Moyles and Nigel Crawford provide a wealth of experience but they still lack the consistency and depth to concern the top tier.

Barry's ascension was largely uncontested as none of the old guard would stand against Boylan, who only stepped aside at the 11th hour to create a clear path. The role had patsy written all over it. Of Lee Harvey Oswald proportions.

Just as Barry began to settle into life as an inter-county manager, a stand off with the county board ensued over the selection of his backroom team. He was nearly out of the job before it started. He saw sense and backed down.

Meath went on to win the McKenna Cup but after a decent start to the league they were relegated. It got worse when victory over Louth in the opening Leinster championship game was followed by an abysmal display against Wexford.

"Defeat to Wexford was just a bad performance on the day. Sure it happened to Laois last Sunday didn't it? Football is all about performing on the day. Basically we didn't take our chances against Wexford and the game turned on its head after the sending off (of Peadar Byrne after 26 minutes).

"We were intent on winning the Leinster championship but when that went by we had to go back a step and take the route through the backdoor."

They beat Carlow two weeks ago in the qualifiers and now John Maughan's Roscommon come to Navan on Saturday with a place in the third round on offer. The qualifier system has been of little use to Meath in recent times. In fact, it has led to moments of humiliation that largely killed off Boylan's 23-year tenure.

"The lads were so disappointed with the performance against Wexford that they were only too delighted to get an opportunity to play against Carlow. To have a second chance. That's the beauty of the backdoor.

"We have everything set up for the weekend. We won the toss so we have home advantage in front of our own supporters. It's ideal: Saturday night in Navan."

Barry is a realist and that means the positives are always accentuated. "We have a settled panel. We trawled the county since last November and we got the best 40 footballers who were prepared to play for Meath." This is surely a reference to All-Ireland winners like Trevor Giles and Darren Fay who refused to return for another campaign.

"People say it was a big step backwards being relegated but we won three games and were very unlucky. We did set out our stall to remain in Division One B but it didn't work out.

"We are making progress. It is a settled panel, although not a settled team as we are still chopping and changing players but I feel we are getting there gradually. We feel we have the right bunch of players who are prepared to devote themselves to Meath football."