LAVIN: WE CAN'T REST ON LAURELS

SEAMUS Lavin says Meath have to push on from yet another huge victory and “make it a brilliant year.”

- BY KARL O'KANE

Robbie Brennan's Royals have been one of the stories of the summer, turning over Dublin, Cork and now Kerry in Championship football.

The Dublin and Kerry victories were seismic shocks that rocked the GAA world, with last weekend's 1-22 to 0-16 triumph over the Kingdom sending Meath straight into the All-Ireland quarter-finals as group winners.

The one downside from last week was the loss of in-from inside-forward James 'Banty' Conlon, while Matthew Costello is in a race against time to be fit for the quarter-final.

Brennan confirmed that a hamstring issue, picked up in the last play of Meath training last Thursday night, has ended Conlon’s season with the county.

Nonetheless, it's full steam ahead for Croke Park in a fortnight

“It's a brilliant win, but we can't just rest on our laurels,” Meath defender Lavin told LMFM. "We have got to push on. We've got to be aiming higher than a quarter-final. Let's make it a brilliant year and push on.”

The one thing lacking to date is silverware, and the only trophy left to win is the Sam Maguire.

Meath are eighth favourites with the bookies at 22/1, behind Armagh (16/5), Kerry (7/2), Donegal (9/2), Dublin (5/1), Tyrone (6/1), Galway (7/1) and Monaghan (18/1).