Meath Forum

Mayo Vs Meath - All Ireland Round 3

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Replying To Sheridan2010louth:  "Jordan Flynn and Jack Carney named to start midfield for Mayo, I'd be shocked if that's how they line out, expecting Matty Ruane and/or Aidan O'Shea to start midfield."
I wouldn't mind seeing O'Shea at midfield. I think he would be a good match up for McBride.

NYRoyal (USA) - Posts: 169 - 19/06/2026 13:13:16    2680592

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Replying To NYRoyal:  "I wouldn't mind seeing O'Shea at midfield. I think he would be a good match up for McBride."
McBride is a good match up on anyone the way he's playing at the moment.

Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 348 - 19/06/2026 14:02:04    2680599

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Kings of the Collapse.


There is serious serious mental weakness, fragility and absence of game management in that team.

Royalio11 (Meath) - Posts: 853 - 20/06/2026 19:55:46    2680746

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Tough one to take, fair play to Mayo, hope they go on a run now.

Strange strange subs from Robbie today, 6 points up and in decent control he took Flynn and Mcbride off for Charlie O'connor and Jones, this cost us. Costello and Frayne had poor 2nd halfs but not sure bringing on Hickey and James mcentee were the right moves either. Killian Smyth was playing well and got taken off after 45 minutes. Giving Jones and James mac their first league/championship minutes this year over someone like Adam O'Neill makes no sense to me.

Disappointing end to a decent year, a championship like this would be more unacceptable next year as we should improve from playing division 1 football.

Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 348 - 20/06/2026 21:54:13    2680765

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Replying To Royalio11:  "Kings of the Collapse.


There is serious serious mental weakness, fragility and absence of game management in that team."
Just lacking leaders that know when to hold the ball up, when to be cynical, when to keep things simple when the games going against us. Ruari Kinsella has had us up on his back this year in terms of swinging games back in our favour. Substitution decisions really poor. So disappointing to blow another big half-time lead, that's it for another 6 months now, another really disappointing end to a season

LowerHogan (Meath) - Posts: 106 - 20/06/2026 22:03:13    2680766

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Don't know where to start with that. We looked way the better team in the first half, should have been further ahead. Our forwards went missing - 6 points in total from JOC, Costello, Morris, Conlon & Frayne. Some of the shooting was criminally bad. Our running game had Mayo in disarray but we lacked ruthlessness in finishing. Midfield faded out of it completely. On the subs, McBride was winning nothing and had to come off. Would have left Flynn on a bit longer. Seemed odd to bring O'Halloran on after essentially dropping him. Turned to Jones after zero minutes all season. Where was O'Neill? McEntee actually competed well as he always does but again, why was he never used all season? Lots of questions to be asked - the ability is there but something missing mentally and tactically. Some said they hope Mayo go on a run. That Mayo team is going nowhere - defence is nowhere near good enough but we couldn't exploit it. Overall, have to credit the lads for getting promotion to Div 1 but championship showed up a lot of frailties so feels like a step backwards or stagnation at best.

gwanyagudthing (Meath) - Posts: 203 - 20/06/2026 23:16:55    2680781

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What's another year give robbie a 10 year contract

Lolou37 (Louth) - Posts: 44 - 21/06/2026 01:30:50    2680795

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First half so positive, played so well, left a little behind us, we controlled first 10 mins of 2nd half, had a chance to back 7 up, conlon kicked short to keeper, they got a point straight off.to many off them scores this year, we dont kill the ball at right times.tough loss, mayo aren't spectacular. We just faded out.

lough4life (Meath) - Posts: 11 - 21/06/2026 03:19:40    2680800

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Deflating again. Really disappointing to lose to a far inferior team. Didn't score heavily enough when on top in first half with no 2 pointer and several wides. Defensively quite good with Rafferty, Keoghan and Lavin excellant. Really dominant around the middle. Coughed up a few scores before half time but 7pts up, no panic. Started 2nd have positively and chipped away at the scoreboard. Mayo put on further pressure and troubled scoreboard a bit more but again Meath responded with Coffey and Jack Flynn. Still no panic. Meath still.5/6pts up and nearly halfway through 2nd half.
The next 5 minutes were losing of the game with a few big calls from management and then sending off.
Both midfielders replaced together was a massive call and was puzzling since Meath were not really struggling there. Flynn had just kicked a point and was setup Coffey for a point.
Jones out of football for 14 months and Charlie O'Connor learning his trade thrown in at deep end.
The incident with Jones was the catastrophic moment. A bit of a tangle off the ball and a slight action from Jones but expectef a yellow. Conlon was fouled just before so between Faloon and Lane, they pretty much threw Mayo the lifeline they needed. It was uphill then and not managed great in next 10 minutes.
Got up the field a few times and a great goal chance for Caulfield but again a good save.
Hard to sum of the year but div 1 football next year is something to build for. Would have hoped some more of the u20s the past few years would have got chances but alot of loyality shown to others that may need to be looked at. Management of games on field and sideline need to be looked at as clearly we have a good crop of players that get into winning positions regularly but can only play one way.

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 1026 - 21/06/2026 09:44:22    2680817

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Sideline malfunction again .
Jones was unlucky to get sent off after looking at the replys but in real time I said he was in trouble straight away it looked from the stand shoulder to the head the Mayo fella made a meal of it .
I still think we were in trouble Mayo were winning all the 50/50 balls in around the middle our half forwards weren't winning any loose ball i though that was the line that needed the changes not the panic by the sideline taking off the 2 midfielders.
McEntee done well when he came in needed someone like him in earlier hes not afraid to get stuck in .
Why have the management not prepared this team for the second half comeback from other teams .
We were 9 points up at 41 minutes why have they not learnt by how to keep the ball .
Cavan , louth , Tyrone Cork and now Mayo we look miles the better team and then panic
we get forward that fast we end up with players isolated and cough up easy ball when theres no need to .
I walked out of the game with a former Meath player who said we gave them the energy to beat us getting turned over .
That was a game like the Cork game we left both behind and like a beating Wexford gave us a good few years ago in Carlow them type of beatings leave a permanent scar on a team .

Royalmc (Meath) - Posts: 37 - 21/06/2026 12:55:25    2680841

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Replying To Lolou37:  "What's another year give robbie a 10 year contract"
It must have been cold there in my shadow.

LobinstownMan (Meath) - Posts: 142 - 21/06/2026 14:19:00    2680853

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A disappointing season overall. We lost three championship games that we should have won if we'd got basic execution right. Never outclassed, just out fought or out foxed at various points. The Mayo loss the worst to stomach given we should have applied lessons learned from the Cork match. Even before the red we were coughing up silly ball.
I hope a Div 1 league campaign brings us on and RB and co blood new players while still avoiding relegation. Top tier sides need constant refreshing and another year of just relying on the same core would see things go off the boil very quickly. Particularly as Menton and Keoghan reach the end of great careers.
Still, the league and the strong spells (Cork, Mayo first halves, Derry second half) show there is a top tier side here if we start learning lessons. Leinster again there for the taking next year, hope the lads keep hard at it.

MeathAbroad (Meath) - Posts: 188 - 21/06/2026 14:37:51    2680860

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No excuse, this was another collapse and not helped by actions of sideline. Why take off the two lads when otherse were adding little or nothing. One or both could have been moved forward giving option of an out long ball. Apart from Caulfield and JOC the other three, will give Banty a pass as when he got ball he looked dangerous, showed little or nothing. Like Derry last week turnovers gave them life and at times in second half we looked helpless. Defence and kickouts were fine but we are still short 5/6 for matchday squad. Fair play Mayo on a great comeback should stand to them next week.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2255 - 21/06/2026 15:06:11    2680867

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Replying To gwanyagudthing:  "Don't know where to start with that. We looked way the better team in the first half, should have been further ahead. Our forwards went missing - 6 points in total from JOC, Costello, Morris, Conlon & Frayne. Some of the shooting was criminally bad. Our running game had Mayo in disarray but we lacked ruthlessness in finishing. Midfield faded out of it completely. On the subs, McBride was winning nothing and had to come off. Would have left Flynn on a bit longer. Seemed odd to bring O'Halloran on after essentially dropping him. Turned to Jones after zero minutes all season. Where was O'Neill? McEntee actually competed well as he always does but again, why was he never used all season? Lots of questions to be asked - the ability is there but something missing mentally and tactically. Some said they hope Mayo go on a run. That Mayo team is going nowhere - defence is nowhere near good enough but we couldn't exploit it. Overall, have to credit the lads for getting promotion to Div 1 but championship showed up a lot of frailties so feels like a step backwards or stagnation at best."
What a silly statement.are you really saying that a player who wasnt picked cant come on and actually did well o halloran..and that jones who had been injured couldnt come on.if that was the case no recovering injured player would ever come on.i feel soŕry for jones who has been so unlucky with injury.i would agree that we might have erred in taking both midfielders off at same time.thanks meath for giving us a good year.role on 2027

Meathnut (Meath) - Posts: 11 - 21/06/2026 15:22:26    2680870

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Replying To MeathAbroad:  "A disappointing season overall. We lost three championship games that we should have won if we'd got basic execution right. Never outclassed, just out fought or out foxed at various points. The Mayo loss the worst to stomach given we should have applied lessons learned from the Cork match. Even before the red we were coughing up silly ball.
I hope a Div 1 league campaign brings us on and RB and co blood new players while still avoiding relegation. Top tier sides need constant refreshing and another year of just relying on the same core would see things go off the boil very quickly. Particularly as Menton and Keoghan reach the end of great careers.
Still, the league and the strong spells (Cork, Mayo first halves, Derry second half) show there is a top tier side here if we start learning lessons. Leinster again there for the taking next year, hope the lads keep hard at it."
We're the 4th best team in Leinster. While we feel like we may have a chance, something different will have to be brought to the table. I think Morris needs to mature and become the marquee forward who scores a guaranteed 6/7 points every single game because without a forward like that, we won't progress.

NYRoyal (USA) - Posts: 169 - 21/06/2026 17:12:58    2680914

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The fade out is interesting and it has been a constant since we beat Dublin last year. Does anyone know how Conor Grey is going, is he injured. It was disappointing yesterday but all is not lost. Robbie Brennan is doing a very good job and we are going in the right direction. We have quality players coming up from under 20 and some of this tears minors are exceptional footballers. Hopefully Menton and Leoghan hang around for another year and help to bring on this team

atta (Meath) - Posts: 716 - 21/06/2026 19:12:30    2680958

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Replying To Royalmc:  "Sideline malfunction again .
Jones was unlucky to get sent off after looking at the replys but in real time I said he was in trouble straight away it looked from the stand shoulder to the head the Mayo fella made a meal of it .
I still think we were in trouble Mayo were winning all the 50/50 balls in around the middle our half forwards weren't winning any loose ball i though that was the line that needed the changes not the panic by the sideline taking off the 2 midfielders.
McEntee done well when he came in needed someone like him in earlier hes not afraid to get stuck in .
Why have the management not prepared this team for the second half comeback from other teams .
We were 9 points up at 41 minutes why have they not learnt by how to keep the ball .
Cavan , louth , Tyrone Cork and now Mayo we look miles the better team and then panic
we get forward that fast we end up with players isolated and cough up easy ball when theres no need to .
I walked out of the game with a former Meath player who said we gave them the energy to beat us getting turned over .
That was a game like the Cork game we left both behind and like a beating Wexford gave us a good few years ago in Carlow them type of beatings leave a permanent scar on a team ."
"Why have the management not prepared this team for the second half comeback from other teams .
We were 9 points up at 41 minutes why have they not learnt by how to keep the ball. Cavan , louth , Tyrone Cork and now Mayo we look miles the better team and then panic we get forward that fast we end up with players isolated and cough up easy ball when theres no need to."

This paragraph sums up the teams season and the simple answer is - the management have not prepared the team.

We gave Mayo all the life they needed and sucked our own away. Players knew it too. There was a sense of inevitability 3 minutes before half time. Thats where the rot started.

Said it all year. It wasn't addressed. One win, three defeats. It cant be sugarcoated.

7 months to work on it now and the same excuse will not be tolerated next year.

Royalio11 (Meath) - Posts: 853 - 21/06/2026 21:22:34    2681019

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Ahh well I can get on with my life now haha

I will really struggle to watch the championship beyond this now. Other similar teams doing well just fills me with such regret.

I wonder with survival in div 1 being the big target, like this year, will we suffer from going with established players and not developing some more squad options.

Conlon, frayne, morris, costello, kinsella, Flynn, caufield, Rafferty, Coffey. Are all very decent players with good physical development and are young enough. Mcbride, Jack O'Connor, Killian smyth,Sean brennan have work to do but they will get there.

Keoghan, menton, jones, lavin, all good players but their time with the squad is limited. I don't expect retirements yet to be honest but I do think some succession planning needs to be accelerated.

Curtis, hickey, duke, gray, ohalloran, O'Neill, mcenetee- some serious questions have to be asked about their development and their selections. Very frustrating watching sporadic inclusion of them.

The biggest frustration for me has been the health of the squad and it's hard to know if anyone is to blame for that. We are a frustrating team to watch we almost never put in a solid 70 mins and what we do in patches is what suggests they could be a top team.

Brennan still has some money in the bank for me but the clock is ticking, the deliverable is a leinster title, a poor championship next year and I think heads will roll.

royalcounty1 (Meath) - Posts: 108 - 21/06/2026 22:35:13    2681050

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Replying To seadog54:  "No excuse, this was another collapse and not helped by actions of sideline. Why take off the two lads when otherse were adding little or nothing. One or both could have been moved forward giving option of an out long ball. Apart from Caulfield and JOC the other three, will give Banty a pass as when he got ball he looked dangerous, showed little or nothing. Like Derry last week turnovers gave them life and at times in second half we looked helpless. Defence and kickouts were fine but we are still short 5/6 for matchday squad. Fair play Mayo on a great comeback should stand to them next week."
Agree completely .........exactly as i saw it also ....You hit the nail on the head with that summary in my view !

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1316 - 22/06/2026 09:11:28    2681111

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Replying To Meathnut:  "What a silly statement.are you really saying that a player who wasnt picked cant come on and actually did well o halloran..and that jones who had been injured couldnt come on.if that was the case no recovering injured player would ever come on.i feel soŕry for jones who has been so unlucky with injury.i would agree that we might have erred in taking both midfielders off at same time.thanks meath for giving us a good year.role on 2027"
It might sound like aftertiming but I genuinely felt it at the time that they were regressive negative substitutions. Smyth was having a decent game and was taken off 8 minutes into the second half and replaced by a guy who hadn't played since the Westmeath game. Jones on a few minutes later - a guy who hasn't played a minute all year. And as part of a complete of midfield?? They were panicky substitutions and they were poor decisions - guarantee Robbie regrets it now. Can't understand what happened with O'Neill this year - never let us down when we played but he seemed to be frozen out completely. Same with Aaron Lynch. It just seems off to me and will go down as a management misstep in my book.

A poor championship and a great league - the future is still bright but only if we take the lessons from it. We have to be more ruthless and press home our advantage when on top. And we have to have a plan B to disrupt opposition momentum.

gwanyagudthing (Meath) - Posts: 203 - 22/06/2026 09:30:49    2681120

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