Luimneach Vs An Mhí, Satharn, 1ú, Lúnasa,

[Hardy]

Meath ... will push Mayo to the brink.

[Leo]

There is only one reason why Hughes (who must be the worst and most bizarre ref in the GAA) didn't give Limerick a free at the end, or allow more injury time - he was under strict instructions that there was to be a winner on the day. I know there would have been extra time - but the chances then increase of the ridiculous game planning being fecked up even more.

As for the game Meath were by far the better team and the two fortuitous goals kept Limerick in touch. I thought Limerick were very poor - in defence they left Meath men free on numerous occasions, and the amount of mis-placed hand passes, dropped balls etc. were fatal.

Meath showed in spells against Dublin that they are capable of some very good football and will push Mayo to the brink. I don't think they would compete with any of the other provincial winners though.

I cant believe these comments about the referee as I thought it was probably the best performance of a young referee I have seen at county level in a long time.

As far as I could se he got every key decision correct (including a couple of dangerous high tackles and third-man tackles), was good at consultinhg his officials, kept the game going  and was decisive on off-the-ball issues. There was only one bounce ball in the whole game (usually the refuge of poor referees who don't know that decision to give) and he had the courage to correctly blow the Limerick player for too many steps at the very end when it looked he might get in for an equalising point. I was disappointed Limerick didn't get the chance to take the game top extra time but the ref was spot on.

Overall he was quite alert to the cyncial tactics employed by Meath - the card count showed this - but he displayed proper impartiality in the game. Maybe some of your posts who watched the game on TV have been influenced by the chronic inaccuracey Kevin McStay during the  commentary.

On the second Limerick goal I did not thinkit was a square ball at all - and neither did either of the umpires - the green flag was raised without hesitation -  and the referee had already shown in the game his willingness to trust his officials, so clearly he accepted the umpire decision.

As a Down man I make these observations from a neutral perspective unlike some of the earlier posts on here.

[INDIANA]

Just back in and I'm desperately disappointed with the result. Limerick needed to get over this hurdle and it's going to be a long road back for them. A few thoughts on the game;

1. I thought it was quite a good game and I'm surprised to see some lads say it was poor fare.

2. The second Limerick goal seemed to be a clear square ball.

3. I thought Meath were very cynical and took turns to pull down Limerick players at the 45'.

4. Limerick got some very soft frees in the scoring zone.

5. Lucey may or may not have over carried by rule but he didn't over carry on the basis of what was left off previously.

6. The ref was very poor for both sides and was far too whistle happy

It was poor fare in the first half Zulu because Limerick showed no ambition. Half backs never supported the forwards into the wind. It was madness. Half forwards tactically on the line they got this wrong. You have to run from 21 to 21 in the half forwards these days. In the first half the limerick half forwards rarely got over the halfway line bar Kelly. Now they were probably told to do this- but it backfired when you contrast how Meath did it in the 2nd half. with the half backs and half forwards supporting each other in numbers in close proximity to each other. Limerick in the first half ran in ones into a mass of defenders and got turned over. Really think that was  a missed opportunity last night for Limerick to step up. Div 4 next season won't help them and they are unlikely to avoid the big 2 again. Its not like Wicklow in leinster where there are a lot of mediocre teams for them to beat.

Meath have a better shape on their team but when they came under pressure their full forward line turned over the ball too easy in the last 10 minutes. If Bray isn't avaiable they won't beat mayo because he is their class act.

[Hardy]

Leo, sorry, but I disagree with a lot of your post, though not the verdict on McStay, who is an absolute clown.

I agree that the decision on the steps was correct and courageous and I'm trying to be free from bias in saying that. But you say "he got every key decision correct".  I couldn't disagree more. He got a lot of decisions correct, but the key ones were the ones he got wrong.

The square ball was the squarest of square balls you'll ever see and perfectly obvious in real time, never mind being clearly shown in slow motion. That's not to mention the free given for nothing, that resulted in another point, where the ref can only have seen a player falling down and ASSUMED he had been fouled, because he certainly saw no foul. These almost cost Meath the match, so I find it hard to be admiring of a ref who nearly perpetrated that outcome.

On the other side, at least one Limerick player was penalised for being fouled by his opponent (the ref falling for the old grab-the-arm trick. Yet again).

At least two of the yellow cards were outrageous and depressing for me in that they confirmed the tendency in the game that I hate and that is threatening to drive me away from it - the misguided attempt to "clean up the game" by driving all physical contact out of it. As far as I'm concerned, the essence of the game is the honest physical contest. When the ball is the objective, incidental contact should not only not be penalised, but should be relished.

As a Meath man it was disturbing, but as a football man it was exhilarating to see John Galvin upending both Nigel Crawford and Joe Sheridan in an amazing piece of individual endeavour. I didn't see any "dangerous" high tackle in the game. (Ironically, you are agreeing with McStay here, who called one or two "dangerous" that were nothing more than honest attempts to win the ball). Consistently, attempts to put a hand on the ball that resulted in inevitable physical contact as a by-product were penalised. This is infuriating. It happened to both sides, but of course I remember the Meath ones particularly.

The tackle perfectly executed by Peadar Byrne that was penalised because the opponent fell was depressing. Where are we going when you can be penalised for executing one of the game's core skills to perfection? Why are referees looking for the physical clash instead of the execution of the skill?

Byrne's yellow card was outrageous. It was clearly an accidental clipping of the heels as he was trying to get a hand on the ball (however unwisely, from behind). Certainly a free - a foul is a foul, however accidental. But surely yellow cards should be reserved for fouls committed with intent.

I'm angry about the play-acting that was rewarded and that may have cost us dearly, but can't comment in detail because I didn't see what happened, though I accept agorm's account.

I emphasise, he made errors to the cost of both sides. It's just that I can remember the Meath ones more clearly. And I'm not getting at this particular ref – he's just following the trend and I'm starting to hate where it's taking gaelic football.

[Edit] And I forgot to mention the timekeeping debacle.

[thejuice]

Haven't time to go into details right now,

However, We won and I'm happy.

[ross4life]

For me Dublin & Mayo are about at the same Level at the moment, so my question is how would ye do v Dublin Next week?

talk in Mayo is all about revenge for 1996, but If Dublin beat kerry they will want revenge over Mayo for 2006

& some Meath fan's will be worried only beating Limerick by 1pt but must be rememberd Mayo only beat them by 1pt last time they played them also

All to play for boys 

[INDIANA]

Who's to say it won't be meath v kerry in the semi ross?

[Eastern_Pride]

Meath ... will push Mayo to the brink.

Until the ball gets thrown in

[meathie]

have to say Im happy enough after last night. There are always ifs and buts and what ifs etc, but the fact is we won and now we are through to the quarters, something I did not expect to be honest. Thought O Connor, King, Byrne and Crawford were really on form.  Feel sorry for Bray though we dont really know but from what Ive heard after it was more retaliation (sp) and no actual strike but I dont know. Farrell imo improved since last few games. Quiet enough still but good to see him showing for the ball and not afraid of it. Was a square ball imo, esp after seeing it again tonight. Joe quiet but has had some great games this year and still super in the ait at times. need Kevin Reilly for next week, I feel for Moyles its not fair to leave him there. he could be roasted.... someone tell me what is the story with byrne and O Brien??? I know it was caution, tiredness etc in taking him off, but there is something goin on there. happy with half backs in general, still unsure of Meade though, hot and cold. looking forward to next week, nothing to lose, Croke Park is where Meath want and need to be in August.

[Jinxy]

Peadar has an awful habit of picking up early bookings.
I think they made the right decision to take him off.
The way he plays you always feel another booking is never far away and the ref was showing yellows like it was going out of style.

[agorm]

Peader walked past O'Brien when he went off and didnt even look at hi. Not saying that is an indication of anything but thinking back to the Dublin game how on earth did O'Brien leave him off then?

Regarding Bray, I would love to know what the umpires said to the ref. It looks as though they didnt call the ref back imediately - it was only when David Bray tried to pull O' Riordan up and the goalie got involved that the ref came back and spoke to them.

I hope that the players go out and give 1000% against Mayo for Stephen Bray's sake so that his captaincy of the county doesnt end with a sending off. Hopefully Brian Farrell, David, Joe and Cian Ward step up in performances to compensate for the loss.

[Hardy]

I've noticed before that O'Brien doesn't say anything to players as they walk off, so I don't think it's anything significant. I can't say it happens all the time, but I commented on it here after the league game in Cork. Just his way, I'd say, though it could be interpreted as an indication of the atmosphere in the camp - I don't know.