THE new season brings with it new expectations and a glut of new managers to the National Football League.
Laois, Leitrim, Tyrone, Cork and Kildare are among those that face into the unknown, but amid all this management shuffling there remains the most constant symbol of Meath's summer madness, the longest serving manager in inter county football Sean Boylan.
Yesterday it was believed that Boylan informed his players that he would be staying on as the Meath team manager for another term. The decision won't be confirmed until a county board meeting at Navan tonight.
In the same town yesterday afternoon, 10,000 supporters turned out at Pairc Tailteann to pay homage to a herculean All Ireland effort on the part of the Meath players and management. Surely, the players would have preferred an easier assimilation back into the League. But, it was not to be. Fresh Cavan came intent on spoiling the party and for long periods that seemed a distinct possibility.
Meath fielded 11 of their All Ireland starting 15 and it was two of them that combined to manufacture a 58th minute equaliser in a welter of excitement. Tommy Dowd placed Jimmy McGuinness for the all important point. The baying crowd were willing to except a draw in mitigation of the draining last three weeks.
Out West, the gravest victims of Meath's undeniable resilience pulled themselves together sufficiently to plunder both points against Monaghan in their Division Two clash. The summer must have seemed a distant memory under an unforgiving sky, as the rain spilled down rather like tears of sympathy for the men in green and red.
The absence of Liam McHale was the most tangible connection with the final and in his place Pat Fallon stepped up to deliver a dominating performance to prove there is life after the big man. But, he will be back along with the other four absent All Ireland finalists.
In the other two Division One matches, Larry Tompkins's Cork took a point away from Ballybofey when Colin Corkery scored a late free, while Mick O'Dwyer's return to management, and his return to Kildare, was marked by a win over his native Kerry at Newbridge.
Surprise of the day undoubtedly came at Carrick on Shannon where Leitrim ambushed Dublin in Division Two. Mickey Whelan, his management style having been called into question last year, could have done without this early setback.
Leitrim's Dubliners in exile, Declan Darcy and Jason Ward, played their part, but it was a Fintan McBrien goal in the 25th minute that proved the decisive score in a 1-10 to 0-10 win.
Down, loitering in the unfamiliar territory of Division Three, showed that their intentions are to make a quick exit. Wexford visited Newry yesterday and crawled back over the border, grasping for air, after a 2-15 to 0-4 mauling.
