Meath Forum

Meath V Donegal

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Replying To royalproxy:  "Holding a man back in Kerry game for quarter final…!
You can't be serious?? And you call it a master stroke?


What are Donegal's chinks ?"
I actually do think the Kerry game was seen as a bit of a shot to nothing - and that's probably why McBride played a full half and James McEntee got some game time. It looked like the management identified it as a chance to get minutes into lads who haven't featured much in clutch moments.

For me, the biggest improvement since the Leinster final has been the management. I think they froze a bit when that game was in the melting pot, but they've clearly learned from it. There's more to be gained from bringing on hard-working players like Hickey, Harkin, and O'Halloran - especially in that middle eight, where they find space to make a real impact.


Am I right in saying that was that sunday was the first game Shane Walsh didn't feature at all? It's a shame to see him drop down the pecking order. We are still lacking one more reliable scoring option overall.

I know it's academic at this point, but I can't help thinking about the hypothetical. A full-strength Meath team under the new rules would be really interesting. Daithi Mcgowan from ratoath is an interesting one, with such a beatuful strike of a ball, how do we get him to step up. a big full forward ? in goals ?? worth a punt to maybe a gain a long range left foot option.

You could be looking at:

Midfield: Gray and Menton

Half-forward line: Jones, Kinsella, and one of Jack Flynn/Duke/Kinlough

Bench midfield options: McBride and Adam O'Neill

Full-forward line: Banty, Morris, Costello (obviously)

royalcounty1 (Meath) - Posts: 25 - 04/07/2025 16:44:18    2623639

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Hope young Rafferty is okay , he was clearly carrying an injury when he back on.

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1109 - 04/07/2025 21:38:11    2623665

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Replying To royalproxy:  "Holding a man back in Kerry game for quarter final…!
You can't be serious?? And you call it a master stroke?


What are Donegal's chinks ?"
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!

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4184 - 04/07/2025 22:57:44    2623684

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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!"
Player for player they aren't that strong??
Murphy and McHugh would walk into most in county teams. Langan, McFadden, McBreatry, Gallan, Gallagher and Patton are also excellent footballers and would be there abouts as well.

UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 420 - 05/07/2025 12:29:01    2623721

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Replying To UsernameInvalid:  "Player for player they aren't that strong??
Murphy and McHugh would walk into most in county teams. Langan, McFadden, McBreatry, Gallan, Gallagher and Patton are also excellent footballers and would be there abouts as well."
I think you've missed Donegals better players. Peadar Mogan, Finbarr Roarty and Conor & Shane O'Donnell are playing incredible football. Ryan McHugh would not walk into most county teams, maybe 5-10 years ago, maybe im wrong but i think he's a player meath can get at. No doubt about Murphy, cant stop thinking of him killing us in 2019 both in the league final and super 8s game. Just have to hope he isn't as influential this time as he was then. Langan and Menton should be some battle.

redser123 (Meath) - Posts: 417 - 05/07/2025 14:26:24    2623742

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Replying To thelutch:  "Hope young Rafferty is okay , he was clearly carrying an injury when he back on."
Brennan mentioned during the week that they initially took him off thinking it was a hamstring injury but turned out to be bad cramp which is why he was brought off (understandable given the amount of ground he covered). Apart from the four that are gone for the season, no other injury worries.

Ratoath Royal (Meath) - Posts: 1391 - 05/07/2025 16:07:22    2623760

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Looks like there will be well above 70 thousand there next week judging by the ticketmaster sales. The Hill looks like it is fully sold out. Would be class to see a sell out.
Result aside, it is great to have Meath back at the top of table and being involved in games like this. So many youth in Meath over the last 20 years have never experienced anything like this year, and it gives us a great platform to build on. That's not to say that we can't take Donegal next week. Come on you boys in green!

Meathman2025 (Meath) - Posts: 4 - 05/07/2025 18:31:47    2623787

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Replying To UsernameInvalid:  "Player for player they aren't that strong??
Murphy and McHugh would walk into most in county teams. Langan, McFadden, McBreatry, Gallan, Gallagher and Patton are also excellent footballers and would be there abouts as well."
There's no way McHugh will get on the Meath team or kerry or Tyrone, if he's considered Donegals best player then we'll sail into the all ireland Final.

Royal.Legend (Meath) - Posts: 728 - 05/07/2025 18:36:15    2623789

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Replying To Royal.Legend:  "There's no way McHugh will get on the Meath team or kerry or Tyrone, if he's considered Donegals best player then we'll sail into the all ireland Final."
Agree. McHugh is a weakness that should be targeted. He has lost the form he had last year and is not good in the air. Ciaran Moore and Peader Mogan greater threats going forward but unsure of either defensively either. Possession 9/10 of law.

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 732 - 05/07/2025 18:48:43    2623790

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Replying To Meathman2025:  "Looks like there will be well above 70 thousand there next week judging by the ticketmaster sales. The Hill looks like it is fully sold out. Would be class to see a sell out.
Result aside, it is great to have Meath back at the top of table and being involved in games like this. So many youth in Meath over the last 20 years have never experienced anything like this year, and it gives us a great platform to build on. That's not to say that we can't take Donegal next week. Come on you boys in green!"
Absolutely the youth of Meath have never seen this before, they have sold the hill out on the first day of tickets on sale which is great to see, what great days we all had on the old canal end and on the hill I wish was young again.

Royal.Legend (Meath) - Posts: 728 - 05/07/2025 20:21:02    2623802

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