# 2022 Meath Senior Football Championship

The 2022 Meath Senior Football Championship was the 130th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior clubs in County Meath, Ireland with 16 teams competing. The winner will represent Meath in the Leinster Senior Club Football Championship. The championship starts with a group stage and then progresses to a knock out stage.
Wolfe Tones were the defending champions after they defeated St. Peter's, Dunboyne in the 2021 final to claim their second S.F.C. crown and their first since 2006.
In 2021, Trim won the I.F.C. to return to the Senior Football Championship for the first time since 2011.
The draw for the group stages of the championship was made on 9 May 2022 with the games due to commence on 5 August 2022.
On 16 October 2022, Ratoath won the Keegan Cup by beating Summerhill 0-12 to 0-11 in the final. This was Ratoath's 3rd third Meath Senior Football Championship in their history and their third title in four years. Jack Flynn was awarded man of the match. Navan O'Mahony's were relegated to the Meath Intermediate Football Championship after losing to Seneschalstown in the relegation playoff final. They will compete at intermediate level for the first time since winning the Intermediate Football Championship in 2003 and only 8 years after their latest Keegan Cup win in 2015.

## Championship Structure

The 2022 Meath S.F.C. consists of 16 teams drawn into four groups each containing four teams. The top two teams progress to the quarter-finals, while the bottom two in each group contest the Relegation Quarter-Finals. The losers of each Relegation Quarter-Final then contest the Relegation Semi-Finals, the losers of which will play-off for the right to retain their senior status into 2023.

## Team Changes

The following teams have changed division since the 2021 championship season.

## Participating teams

The teams taking part in the 2022 Meath Senior Football Championship are:
| Club | Location | Management | Pre C'ship Odds | 2021 Championship Position | 2022 Championship Position |
| Ballinabrackey | Ballinabrackey | Aidan Coffey | 33/1 | Relegation Semi-Finalist | Relegation Semi-Finalist |
| Curraha | Curraha | Ruairí Murphy | 50/1 | Relegation Semi-Finalist | Relegation Quarter-Finalist |
| Donaghmore/Ashbourne | Ashbourne | Mick Deegan | 8/1 | Semi-Finalist | Relegation Quarter-Finalist |
| Gaeil Colmcille | Kells | Luke Dempsey | 7/1 | Quarter-Finalist | Quarter-Finalist |
| Moynalvey | Moynalvey & Kiltale | John Donoghue | 20/1 | Relegation Quarter-Finalist | Quarter-Finalist |
| Na Fianna | Enfield & Baconstown | Cormac Davey | 12/1 | Quarter-Finlaist | Semi-Finalist |
| Navan O'Mahonys | Navan | Darren Fay | 33/1 | Relegation Finalist | Relegated |
| Ratoath | Ratoath | David Brady | 3/1 | Semi-Finalist | Champions |
| Seneschalstown | Kentstown & Yellow Furze | Ciarán Marks | 50/1 | Relegation Quarter-Finalist | Relegation Finalist |
| Simonstown Gaels | Navan | Colm O'Rourke | 10/1 | Relegation Quarter-Finalist | Relegation Quarter-Finalist |
| Skryne | Skryne & Tara | Davy Byrne | 20/1 | Relegation Quarter-Finalist | Quarter-Finalist |
| St. Colmcille's | Bettystown, Donacarney, Laytown & Mornington | Seán Barry & Seán Kelly | 25/1 | Quarter-Finalist | Relegation Semi-Finalist |
| St. Peter's Dunboyne | Dunboyne | Trevor O'Sullivan | 3/1 | Runners-up | Relegation Quarter-Finalist |
| Summerhill | Summerhill | Conor Gillespie | 10/1 | Quarter-Finalist | Runners-up |
| Trim | Trim | Kevin Reilly | 20/1 | I.F.C. Champions | Quarter-Finalist |
| Wolfe Tones | Kilberry, Gibbstown, Oristown & Wilkinstown | Michael McDermott | 8/1 | Champions | Semi-Finalist |

## Group stage

There are four groups of four teams called Group A, B, C and D. The 1st and 2nd placed teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals. The 3rd and 4th placed team in each group will proceed to the Relegation Play-Off to determine which team will suffer relegation.
The draw for the group stages of the championship was made on 9 May 2022.
Tiebreakers: If two or more teams were equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following tie-breaking criteria would be applied:
All Football Championships and Leagues shall be run on a combination of a league and knockout basis under Rule 6.21 T.O. Where teams finish equal with points for qualification or relegation process for concluding stages, the positioning shall be decided as follows;
* (i) Where three teams are involved - the outcome of the meetings of the three teams in their previous games in the competition. If three teams finish level on points for three places and one team has beaten the other two teams that team qualifies in first place and other places are determined by the specified order. If there are two positions and one team has beaten the other two teams that team qualifies and the second place is determined by the specified order. If there is one position and one team has beaten the other two team that team qualifies;
* (ii) Where two teams are involved - the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the previous game in the competition;
* (iii) Scoring Difference;
* (iv) Highest total scores for;
* (v) A play-off.

### Group D
## Knock-Out Stage

The 1st and 2nd placed teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals. Quarter Final pairings were drawn with one group winner and one 2nd placed team in each pair with no repeat pairings from group stages. Semi Final pairings were determined by an open draw. The draw for the quarter-finals and Semi-Finals took place on 5 September 2022.
| Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Quarter-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Wolfe Tones | Wolfe Tones | 0-11 | | | | | | |
| Gaeil Colmcille | Gaeil Colmcille | 0-9 | | | | | | |
| Gaeil Colmcille | Gaeil Colmcille | 0-9 | Wolfe Tones | Wolfe Tones | 0-6 | | | |
| | | | Summerhill | Summerhill | 1-10 | | | |
| Summerhill | Summerhill | 2-19 | Summerhill | Summerhill | 1-10 | | | |
| Skryne | Skryne | 0-8 | | | | | | |
| Skryne | Skryne | 0-8 | | | | Summerhill | Summerhill | 0-11 |
| | | | | | | Ratoath | Ratoath | 0-12 |
| Trim | Trim | 0-10 | | | | | | | Ratoath | Ratoath | 0-12 |
| Na Fianna | Na Fianna | 1-10 | | | | | | |
| Na Fianna | Na Fianna | 1-10 | Na Fianna | Na Fianna | 0-9 | | | |
| | | | Ratoath | Ratoath | 3-11 | | | |
| Ratoath | Ratoath | 3-8 | Ratoath | Ratoath | 3-11 | | | |
| Moynalvey | Moynalvey | 0-10 | | | | | | |

### Final
## Relegation play-off

The Relegation Play-Off consisted of the 3rd and 4th-placed finishers in each group. The winners of each playoff retained their senior status while the outright loser was relegated to the Intermediate championship for 2023. The draw for the relegation playoffs took place on 5 September 2022.