Meath decider go ahead

The Meath county football final goes ahead tomorrow after the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) rejected the case taken by Navan O'Mahony's against their expulsion for fielding too many replacements in the county semi-final against Dunboyne.

Nonetheless, Blackhall Gaels will be favourites against Dunboyne. The champions of two years ago, driven on by county player Anthony Moyles, were surprisingly convincing winners over title favourites Trim in the semi-finals.

For their part, Dunboyne are showing a high rate of turnover from their previous championship winning side of seven years ago with only Nigel Crawford, Denis Gallagher and his brother, county goalkeeper David who plays centre back for the club, surviving from 1998.

Also in Leinster, the Kildare final brings together Sarsfields and St Laurence's, finalists last year and again the outsiders against the Newbridge club.

Unlike their big town opponents, Laurence's are from a small, rural area and two-thirds of their semi-final side were under-21s. Although they should have learned from last year's experience, they are likely to struggle at centrefield where Dermot Earley has been in exceptional form for Sarsfields, who are likely to be missing county player Alan Barry with a hamstring injury.

In Connacht, the Galway final is definitive David and Goliath stuff. Salthill-Knocknacarra are 8 to 1 on to take their second county title and the first in 15 years. Opponents Carne Caiseal are in their third year as a senior club and in their first final.

Salthill are laden down with big names, including under-21 stars Seán Armstrong and Finian Hanley, hurler Alan Kerins and Michael Donnellan, who may win a county medal just six months after leaving his home club Dunmore.

Under-21 centre back Niall Coyne is at full forward for Carne Caiseal, but despite memorable wins over Tuam Stars and Glenamaddy, the outsiders will probably have to make do with the memories of what has been a startling season to date.

Ireland International Rules manager Peter McGrath will have an anxious wait with all of the championship matches in Tyrone and Kerry this weekend. Eight of the 10 players selected from the two counties are involved with their clubs and McGrath will be keeping his fingers crossed that none of them pick up a serious injury.

The three Kerry players, Colm Cooper, Eoin Brosnan and Tomás Ó Sé are all playing tomorrow for Dr Crokes against An Ghaeltacht.

Only Brian McGuigan and Owen Mulligan of the Tyrone contingent won't be playing in the county quarter-finals.

Finally, the less prominent GAA international project, the shinty match with Scotland's camanadhct players, takes place this afternoon in Inverness removed from the controversy of last year when the match wasn't played as a curtain-raiser to the international football Test, losing out to a Railway Cup match.