Banty out, Boylan in moves one step closer to reality

Seamus McEnaney’s future as Meath manager is hanging by the flimsiest of threads, with none other than Royal legend Sean Boylan being lined up to replace him.

Widespread reports emanating from the Royal County suggest that County Board officials have lost faith in the Monaghan man and are expected to table a motion of no confidence in McEnaney at a County Board meeting next Wednesday evening.

A report in the Irish Independent today suggests that Banty has refused a request from County Board chairman Barney Allen to “step aside” as manager with immediate effect, saying that he had never before stepped away from a fight and that he wasn’t about to do so now.

Further to that, Irish Examiner journalist John Fogarty this morning posted tweets which all but confirmed Banty’s precarious position.

Although McEnaney seems determined to fight his cause, he hasn’t much of a leg to stand on after overseeing a disastrous league campaign which culminated in a humiliating defeat to Louth last weekend and relegation to the third tier in the National League.

Banty is thought to believe that he has the support of the dressing room, but even if that is the case, it is unlikely to save his hide because the mood is ripe for change in the Royal County, particularly with the figure of Boylan lurking in the background.

The legendary Dunboyne man is believed to be keen on taking up the Meath manager role, even if it is only a temporary basis, and he has held talks with officials in the last few days about a possible return to the dugout after recently stepping down from his Director of Football role.

It's been a while since Boylan last took charge of the Meath senior team, but his return would be hailed in the county and in fairness, after a previous stint of 23 years which included four All-Ireland titles, nobody knows the role better.