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Meath V Donegal

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Losing Menton was killer. It limited our long kickout targets to one - and Donegal twigged it immediately. Men against boys in the second half, but that may have been expected given the teams. Overall: many many positives from this year, but if you could only offer me one thing next year, we absolutely have to get out of Division Two. RR (Meath) - Posts: 174 - 13/07/2025 18:40:30 2625333 Link
Replying To RR: "Losing Menton was killer. It limited our long kickout targets to one - and Donegal twigged it immediately. Men against boys in the second half, but that may have been expected given the teams. Overall: many many positives from this year, but if you could only offer me one thing next year, we absolutely have to get out of Division Two." Losing Menton was a killer but poor execution of skills and poor decision making whether it was handling, hand passing or shooting meant we didn't get enough from our attacking possession. Donegal have incredible conditioning so could be another year or two to get to that level and we just had too many injuries to key players too. Our bench today just not strong enough either. Div. 2 wil be very competitive with Tyrone and Derry also in it but need to build on this year's momentum. We gave lots to look forward to and Rome wasn't built in a day as disappointing as today feels! winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 745 - 13/07/2025 18:59:24 2625339 Link
I'm sorry but the hype was cringy. Reality bites. On our day we're competitive and have proven we can take a few scalps but we're 2 steps behind Donegal and Kerry and in the same bracket as about 8 other teams. We're no better or no worse than the likes of Tyrone, Armagh, Monaghan, Derry, Mayo, Galway, Dublin, Cork. That's it and that's all. Let's get back to basics. We'll be in a dogfight again next year. GenderNeutral (Meath) - Posts: 124 - 13/07/2025 19:24:06 2625346 Link
Replying To GenderNeutral: "I'm sorry but the hype was cringy. Reality bites. On our day we're competitive and have proven we can take a few scalps but we're 2 steps behind Donegal and Kerry and in the same bracket as about 8 other teams. We're no better or no worse than the likes of Tyrone, Armagh, Monaghan, Derry, Mayo, Galway, Dublin, Cork. That's it and that's all. Let's get back to basics. We'll be in a dogfight again next year." It was great to see hype, colour, fan support. The amount of young people at games, wearing jerseys was unreal. It was great to see. It was like this summer, a new generation of young Meath fans were awoken. It keeps the fire burning so important. I think we are different to teams like Cork Armagh Dublin Derry Galway. The are aging teams many of them have peaked and need to rebuild in comparison this Meath team is youngest team in div 1 or div 2. Look at age profile Hogan 21 O Halloran 21 Coffey 22 Caulfield 21 Gray 21 O Neill 24 Duke 20 Kinsella 22 Curtis 23 Morris 25 Costello 24 Frayne 22 Hickey 24 MBride 23 That's Youngest Meath team ever to get to semis. This team wouldnt peak for another couple of years. While kerry Galway Donegal Armagh are a their peak. To beat Dublin kerry Galway and team I'd only really together 1 1/2 years compared to Donegal team who r 5 or 6 years together. It was noticed so many of thr players who we played v Donegal in 2019 2020 are still on Donegal team. That Donegal team is years ahead of us in terms development. JackieboyfromTara (Meath) - Posts: 6 - 13/07/2025 19:44:23 2625351 Link
Replying To JackieboyfromTara: "It was great to see hype, colour, fan support. The amount of young people at games, wearing jerseys was unreal. It was great to see. It was like this summer, a new generation of young Meath fans were awoken. It keeps the fire burning so important. I think we are different to teams like Cork Armagh Dublin Derry Galway. The are aging teams many of them have peaked and need to rebuild in comparison this Meath team is youngest team in div 1 or div 2. Look at age profile Hogan 21 O Halloran 21 Coffey 22 Caulfield 21 Gray 21 O Neill 24 Duke 20 Kinsella 22 Curtis 23 Morris 25 Costello 24 Frayne 22 Hickey 24 MBride 23 That's Youngest Meath team ever to get to semis. This team wouldnt peak for another couple of years. While kerry Galway Donegal Armagh are a their peak. To beat Dublin kerry Galway and team I'd only really together 1 1/2 years compared to Donegal team who r 5 or 6 years together. It was noticed so many of thr players who we played v Donegal in 2019 2020 are still on Donegal team. That Donegal team is years ahead of us in terms development." Half a kerry team half a Dublin team and a very poor Galway team thestrapper49 (Louth) - Posts: 358 - 13/07/2025 19:55:59 2625357 Link
Replying To RR: "Losing Menton was killer. It limited our long kickout targets to one - and Donegal twigged it immediately. Men against boys in the second half, but that may have been expected given the teams. Overall: many many positives from this year, but if you could only offer me one thing next year, we absolutely have to get out of Division Two." In terms of kick outs you'd have thought Gray should be at least a like for like swap Coylesrighthand (Meath) - Posts: 25 - 13/07/2025 20:01:27 2625359 Link
A great first year for RB and team. Yes we were trounced today but in that heat against a perfectly conditioned team where we have to try riskier options to get back in the game this can happen. Particularly when the two sides have such a different level of experience. I hope the lads remember the positives from this year and kick on having experienced first hand the level they need to reach. In Jan we were favourites for Div 2 relegation. Next Jan we'll be counting down the days to dog fights against Tyrone and Derry. We're on the up. If the right lessons are taken from today we could have some great days ahead. Roll on the Leinster championship draw. An Mhí abú and thanks for a great year lads. MeathAbroad (Meath) - Posts: 167 - 13/07/2025 20:08:33 2625365 Link
Replying To thestrapper49: "Half a kerry team half a Dublin team and a very poor Galway team" You do realise we were missing a lot when you beat us this year and ye won with a gift 2 point free?? GreenMan1987 (Meath) - Posts: 79 - 13/07/2025 20:22:51 2625372 Link
Replying To 32_4_1: "They don't have our natural talent!" This aged well. themaddog (Wicklow) - Posts: 169 - 13/07/2025 20:31:10 2625375 Link
Yeah, defo not Meath's day. Needed to convert our chances in the first half. 5 points down at half-time, having had the wind, meant game over. Very young team. Have done really well to get back in the mix over the course of the season. Donegal did a very nice job on us in midfield and that's been where we've won the 3 big upsets. I hadn't spotted it as clearly as today, but we need to develop an attacking shape and plan. We've done well up to today because of lad defences or moments of genius. We'll learn. Onwards. H'on the Royals! Winter 2026 in Navan... I can't wait. TheFlyingTeacup (Meath) - Posts: 285 - 13/07/2025 20:38:42 2625382 Link
The result was very disappointing but it was great to see so many Meath people in Croke Park today, the atmosphere inside and outside the ground bought back all the memories from the great days of the 80s and 90s, we lost today but our boys done us proud this year we'll learn from this and come back stronger. Royal.Legend (Meath) - Posts: 730 - 13/07/2025 20:42:34 2625387 Link
Replying To GreenMan1987: "You do realise we were missing a lot when you beat us this year and ye won with a gift 2 point free??" Twice this year by the way how many were u missing today And it was a free thestrapper49 (Louth) - Posts: 358 - 13/07/2025 20:43:07 2625389 Link
Well that was embarrassing. They never returned for the second half. How many wides did Meath have today? kodak13 (Wicklow) - Posts: 90 - 13/07/2025 20:45:38 2625391 Link
Replying To JackieboyfromTara: "It was great to see hype, colour, fan support. The amount of young people at games, wearing jerseys was unreal. It was great to see. It was like this summer, a new generation of young Meath fans were awoken. It keeps the fire burning so important. I think we are different to teams like Cork Armagh Dublin Derry Galway. The are aging teams many of them have peaked and need to rebuild in comparison this Meath team is youngest team in div 1 or div 2. Look at age profile Hogan 21 O Halloran 21 Coffey 22 Caulfield 21 Gray 21 O Neill 24 Duke 20 Kinsella 22 Curtis 23 Morris 25 Costello 24 Frayne 22 Hickey 24 MBride 23 That's Youngest Meath team ever to get to semis. This team wouldnt peak for another couple of years. While kerry Galway Donegal Armagh are a their peak. To beat Dublin kerry Galway and team I'd only really together 1 1/2 years compared to Donegal team who r 5 or 6 years together. It was noticed so many of thr players who we played v Donegal in 2019 2020 are still on Donegal team. That Donegal team is years ahead of us in terms development." Brutal Belclare7 (Galway) - Posts: 341 - 13/07/2025 20:57:51 2625394 Link
Replying To 32_4_1: "We perform, we win. That simple!" How did work out? HEREBENJI (Donegal) - Posts: 435 - 13/07/2025 21:05:44 2625401 Link
Replying To 32_4_1: "Donegals chinks? Well the whole is better than the sum of the parts. For them it's about organisation and structure. Break that down or expose that on them, player for player they aren't that strong. They defend in a manner, whereby most teams are one dimensional against them, and they can stifle it. Mix it up on them, and you can pull holes in their defense. Low balls to the corner forwards, when they push up on us to stop our two pointers, will cause them problems. Nippy corner forwards getting the ball and cutting back in, pulling them out of position. At the end of the day, they're a machine, a well oiled machine. Rigid and workmanlike. But skill and speed can get at them. They're good, but are beatable. There's also huge pressure on them to perform. We should be able to play with freedom. They're there for the taking!" Possibly most deluded poster on forum. Meath are mediocre div 2 team and probably always will be. If u played in Ulster u wud be luck to make a semi every 3rd year HEREBENJI (Donegal) - Posts: 435 - 13/07/2025 21:10:05 2625404 Link
Replying To thestrapper49: "Half a kerry team half a Dublin team and a very poor Galway team" Louth havent beaten kerry in championship in 113 years. ( that was even a match in 1912, kerry refused to turn up to play louth) Louth have never beaten Galway in championship ever. Louth have beaten Dublin once in championship in the last 70 years. Meath beat Kerry Dublin and Galway in the championship this year. This summer Meath have beaten 2 top teams oside leinster Outside leinster Louth have never beaten top team in championship in years, exception Cork in 1957 final, was that even a top Cork team. Let's see louth beat Dublin in coming years and than kerry and Galway. Louth are obsessed with beating Meath, louth have never in 140 years beaten top teams outside leinster. Meath are obsessed with beating Dublins and than kerrys and rest of top teams. That's difference between Meath and louth. JackieboyfromTara (Meath) - Posts: 6 - 13/07/2025 21:26:42 2625408 Link
Replying To thestrapper49: "Half a kerry team half a Dublin team and a very poor Galway team" Louth havent beaten kerry in championship in 113 years ( That was even a game because kerry refused to turn up to play louth in 1912) Louth have never beaten Galway in championship ever in 140 years Louth have beaten Dublin once in championship in 70 years. Meath beat kerry Dublin and Galway in championship this year. First team to ever do that in GAA history. If its so easy to beat kerry Dublin and Galway why have louth not beaten kerry since 1912, Dublin since 1973 and never have beaten Galway. That's difference between Meath and louth. Louth ar obsessed about Meath, beating Meath. Meath are obsessed about beating Dublin than kerrys and Galways. Enjoy your leinster title. But now let's see louth back it up, beat Dublin next year for first time in 52 years, beat kerry for first time in 113 years and beat Galway for first time in 140 years. Let see louth compete and beat top teams for first time ever. Beating Tyrone in 1957 or Antrim 1912 or London in 1910 are louths great semi finals wins. Let see louth actually beat top team outside leinster and beat Dublin in leinster and and reach All Ireland semi final. JackieboyfromTara (Meath) - Posts: 6 - 13/07/2025 21:36:16 2625414 Link
Hard one too take.Never got going and in fairness Fonegal didnt let us.We got turned over far too easily in the forwards running into blind alleys and corners.We tried to force 2 pointers when it would've been better to work a 1 point and jeep scoreboard ticking over and ended up with far too many wides.Menton going off was the start of it .We won our share of ball in midfield but we got wiped out of it after he went off.Hard on Gray (as he hasnt played much ball)to be the main man.When menton went off we had our 3 first choice midfielders missing so was always going to be up hill struggle.Dont think it would've change the result but think we would've been more competitive.Donegal take Murphy off and bring in mabreffy and McHugh off and o baoil(who is very underated) and magonngile as well on.We just dont have the bench especially with the few injuries.But plenty to take from the year what great days they have given us Dublin in portlaoise stands out for me great elation that day as does the Kerry game.Leinster final also although the result wasn't what we wanted the atmosphere was brillanr that day.Thanks to the management and lads for giving it all and although gutted very proud of the lads this year.Hopfully we can keep building and the team learns and grows from this year. Proudroyal (Meath) - Posts: 398 - 13/07/2025 21:47:03 2625417 Link
Replying To thestrapper49: "Twice this year by the way how many were u missing today And it was a free" Your coming on here to gloat after we lost badly today is pathetic. We had a few good wins this year before today even if each top team we beat had issues. They were good wins none the less. If your going to put down our good wins this year lets judge your teams Leinster final win in the same way. In that vein we did the hard work in Leinster this year by being the ones beating Dublin. GreenMan1987 (Meath) - Posts: 79 - 13/07/2025 22:06:48 2625426 Link