Battle of the Boyne - Meath Vs Louth - Leinster Final 11/7/2010

[thejuice]

Well after 9 long years, we are finally back in a Leinster final. I know we haven't had to wait as long as our opponents but I'll let their supporters speak of what it means to them. 2001 was a great year for Meath whatever way you look at it, a really enjoyable one as a supporter even if it ended on a flat note and was followed by a severe decline. Graham and Ollie were still in their pomp while Nigel and Big John from Curragha were commanding the airspace in the centre. All-star Evan Kelly had a motor like no other, Trevor Giles conducted proceedings with precision. We had one of the best full back lines going though they were stretched a few times that year by Dessie Dolan and Pauric Joyce.

The battles with Westmeath that year were legendary and then we brushed the Dubs aside in the Leinster final. Then another quarter final duel with Westmeath before we destroyed a shell-shocked Kerry team, shocking ourselves in the process and whether the lads had ideas about themselves or what going into the final they weren't ready for what came next.

Team from 2001:

Cormac O'Sullivan,

Mark O'Reilly, Darren Fay, Cormac Murphy,

Donal Curtis, Nigel Nestor, Hank Traynor,

Nigel Crawford, John McDermott,

Evan Kelly, Trevor Giles, Richie Kealy,

Ollie Murphy, Graham Geraghty, Ray Magee.

But anyway on to the present day

Meath seem to finally have started to show their potential, although I feel we have yet to see a complete performance from the team. Against Offaly our backs were suspect, against Laois we lost our grip on a game we looked to have under our control and were lucky not to lose. Against the Dubs our midfield were poor.  I've always felt Eamonn wasn't getting this team to play to the sum of its parts but the game against Dublin was as close as we've come to it. However Eamonn is looking a much better manager than I gave him credit for last year with some really bizarre decisions like playing King at full forward.

Louth are looking dangerous but I don't feel they have the quality that Meath have especially when passing the ball however they have plenty of lads who can put scores on the board and will be a tough test for our backs, perhaps tougher than Dublin proved. They won't be lacking hunger or desire to land the trophy and take our scalp at the same time. That's an awfully sweet carrot that's dangling in front of them and we better be going into the game feeling as hungry for it as possible.

Don't think there are too many changes I'd want to make to the team from last sunday other than midfield if we have Crawford back. Although I don't know if Eamonn will do it but I wonder would Meade and Gillespie be our strongest choice. Moyles will probably pick Brian White, Gary O'Brien on Colm Judge, Reilly on JP or Lennon.

Teams picking itself at this stage:

B Murphy;

C O'Connor, K Reilly, E Harrington;
A Moyles, G O'Brien, C King;

B Meade, (1)N Crawford (2)M Ward or (3)C Gillespie

S Kenny, J Sheridan, G Reilly;
C Ward, S O'Rourke, S Bray.

[ross4life]

Excellent Title on the thread

Not many would have picked this Leinster final at the start of the year but it's great to see some new team's &  new Leinster Champions

I have been very impressed With Meath i think they are finally gelling a team together that can be compared to the 90s ones, of course the pressure of been favourites might affect the players mind on final day

Louth like ourselves are now guaranteed two more matches which should be a great experience with the added bonus of nobody expecting to win so they won't have any pressure but i'm sure they will have some nervous lads

[Louth Exile]

Well I can't wax lyrical like the juice about our last team to win a Leinster title. Unfortunately we have lost quite a few of them recently, will be great for the likes of Jimmy Mc Donnell who are still around though. I also love the title thread though 

Nobody in Louth would have given Fitzer a snowballs chance in hell of making a Leinster final. In fact many foolish people were ready to lynch him after a couple of poor results in the league!! Sometimes the media in Louth can take on an English tabloid style unfortunately. Mind you the way that O Brien was eventually appointed to a one year contract last year shows just how much confidence there was in him in the beautiful county as well. Fair play to both of them for getting their teams to this day.

There is no doubt about it that is all the sweeter that its the Royals we face in this. The craic for us supporters is going to be mighty.

Meath have to enter this as clear favourites. If we are going to have a chance we need to continue the strong showing at the middle and to be honest I hope that it is Crawford and Ward in middle, even though I think that it is Meath's best midfield I also think that where they do have weaknesses they can be exposed by our lads on the day. One more big day in Croker from our men in the middle and surely to God we will be looking at Louth's first ever All Star (yes for those who don't know, first ever!!!) We need to win the middle primarily to try and starve the ball going into a quality Meath forward line.

I can't see any change in personnel in the Louth defence, maybe a few shuffles though. In the forwards I think that JP will still start although the lads will think about it. As for young Mc Donnell, I like him myself and he had a good day in Navan, but bad in both Portlaoise and Croker, so his place is under threat, although Fitzer will probably name the same 15 and maybe make the change on the day. We'll see..

I think that this has the potential to be a real great game of proper football as both teams approach the game in the right fashion, good old style midfield play, direct ball in to forwards who can score and a defence that asks or gives no quarter! Bring it On!!

f**king wetting myself waiting for it, even if the wife has threatened to divorce me at this early stage in the build up   

[Jinxy]

Talking to a few Louth boys between the two games on Sunday.
I'd forgotten how much they hate us. 

[Hardy]

Battle of the Boyne - good man Juice.

A mighty occasion. It'll be hard to get the head together for a sensible analysis of this one. Anything could happen.

I'm anticipating domestic difficulties like Louth Exile, being hitched to a Wee woman. She's even taking about going to the match, forgodsake. She can go on her own, well.

[brokencrossbar1]

Battle of the Boyne - good man Juice.

A mighty occasion. It'll be hard to get the head together for a sensible analysis of this one. Anything could happen.

I'm anticipating domestic difficulties like Louth Exile, being hitched to a Wee woman. She's even taking about going to the match, forgodsake. She can go on her own, well.

A hardy day in the Hardy house, by God they thought it was bad when Billy pranced over the water in his big white horse!!  I reckon it will be a draw 1-6 to 0-9 (small bit of licence there)

[Banana Man]

I think it's brilliant for both teams to be in, anyone but Dublin eh. But fair play to Louth I just hope they don't see the getting to the final as the holy grail, as a Down man I have big affection for Louth, they always supported Down well.

I remember back in the nineties Dundalk was full of Down flags but it's great for them to be putting the Louth flags up, no disrespect to Meath (look to be a classy article) but have to repay the loyalty and weigh in behind the Louth men - my heart says louth, my head meath though

[IolarCoisCuain]

Great title. Nice one Juice.

[armaghniac]

Louth have taken the Bridge already!

[Declan]

Time to resurrect that TV ad for the championship I LOVE LOUTH -

[dropped short]

Think people overlook Meath every year. Last year they made the All Ireland Semi Final yet going into this year they were seen as under-dogs in their own province. In terms of their attack they boast 4 star forwards who would be in with a shout with every county in the isle.
The movement and life in the full forward line seems to scare the b'jayus out of every full back line. Steven Bray has hit the form that torn apart Tyrone in 2007.

Louth are no pushovers either. JP Rooney will take a bit of marking. Cant seen White getting the same freedom as he has recently and will be targetted. All the attributes of a top game. Roll on 11th!

[Jinxy]

It'll be a good one for the neutrals.
Both teams will let the ball do the work.

[Louth Exile]

Battle of the Boyne - good man Juice.

A mighty occasion. It'll be hard to get the head together for a sensible analysis of this one. Anything could happen.

I'm anticipating domestic difficulties like Louth Exile, being hitched to a Wee woman. She's even taking about going to the match, forgodsake. She can go on her own, well.

Hardy, if I have to bring a Royal woman I think its only fair that you bring the Wee One 

Louth have taken the Bridge already!

Love it. If we win this final I think that the motion to change the crest will have to be rescinded.

Got the car flags in Sharkeys today on the way to work, not a huge amount of flags in either county so far, but that border stretch coming into Ardee has a bit more intensity of colour than most other places. Ardee town has far more flags than Dundalk. fair play to them. Still haven't reached the heights of the Monaghan colours in Carrickmacross yet though.

Mind you, we are just there to make up the numbers according to some tipsters 
http://kevinegan.starbets.ie/2010/06/28/monaghans-efficiency-overshadowed-by-meath-magic/

[Dinny Breen]

Lopsided draw so that's Offaly's excuse for not getting to the Leinster Final, Lone Shark should stick to the hurling 

[thejuice]

Pressure's on Meath, Lennon insists

29 June 2010


Shane Lennon insists that all the pressure will be on Meath in next month's Leinster SFC final, despite the fact that Louth will be making their first appearance in a provincial decider in half a century.

The Royals produced one of the performances of the championship so far when they put five goals past a hapless Dublin last Sunday, and Louth full forward Lennon believes they will have a lot to live up to.

"It's a huge match for Louth, particularly as the county hasn't appeared in a Leinster final since 1960," the Kilkerley Emmets clubman said in the Irish Examiner.

"But it's also a huge match for Meath, and after beating Dublin so convincingly, I think there's much more pressure on them than there is on us. Our fans will be hoping we continue our winning run, but I think the expectation of Meath fans will be massive, and they won't be thinking in terms of their team losing to us."

Lennon stressed that Louth have no intention of resting on their laurels after their wins over Longford, Kildare and Westmeath.

"We're not happy to just be there. Louth haven't won a provincial football title since 1957 and now that we're in the final, we want to win the title. We scored 1-22 against Kildare and 1-15 against Westmeath, and hopefully we will have another big scoring total against Meath."

Mind games have started