Meath Vs Dublin, 7th June 2009

[Donnellys Hollow]

Poor performance from Dublin. I've been consistently saying the team has not been changed for the better and today proved me right in every aspect. Poor game between 2 average teams. Leinster is Kildare's for the taking if they don't bottle it. I'll post more later but after that I need a few stiff drinks.

Go way outta that! 

We've only won one Leinster Championship match in four years whereas the Dubs are unbeaten in that period. Nobody in Kildare is losing the run of themselves. There are still glaring deficiencies in our team and we can't afford to look beyond Wexford.

Dublin were poor today but they still won fairly comfortably. The result flattered Meath, no doubt about it.

[Barney]

Dire game, but Dublin should be through to another Leinster Final and probably won't know their true abilities until then.

What the hell has gone so wrong with Meath football. That is one of the most diabolical Meath teams that I have seen take the field.

Mr Duffy of course was played a blinder at ruining any chance of a good game. The more matches you watch the clearer it is that the referees are dominating too much - not because of the rules, but their own inability to control the game properly. Duffy of course was on his best behaviour and was lauded in Croke Park in February when Dublin played Tyrone - their could be no yellow cards unless patently justified as part one of a great plan to bring in new rules without much criticism. Today in a game lacking any real contact (but a huge amount of diving  - young Davoren played a blinder here) there were yellow cards flying around all over the place. Now imagine if Congress had passed the new laws....

As for the stoppage time - ridiculous. The funny thing is the Meath crowd will be giving out about this, with the Dubs laughing. If Meath had scored a last minute goal could you imagine the craic!

[Dinny Breen]

Poor game between 2 poor teams! It's Kildare's to lose not.

Kildare must be faves for Leinster now.

Leinster is Kildare's for the taking if they don't bottle it.

Is Leinster really that bad that people that people are talking Kildare as favourites, Dublin played poorly but never looked like losing they will only get better from here. Kildare realistically have a chance of a final but that means beating Wexford and either Laois or Louth who I might add have all beaten Kildare in the Championship in the last 4 years. But all we have is a chance Dublin are clear favourites and us Lily's as DH points out nobody on the plains are losing the run and many fear we will lose to Wexford.

Indiana also makes a pertinent point, Kildare are very weak mentally although getting stronger for example we still tend to revert to trying to hand-pass our way out of trouble when the pressure comes on. Would be delighted just to reach a Leinster.

[INDIANA]

I liked the way you were setup against Offaly Dinny. Mc Geeney has everyone is the right areas of the field. We don't. We're totally unbalanced in some areas. And we are there for taking this year unless we make the 5/6 changes in personnel that are required.
Based on what I know from behind the scenes I don't see those changes hapenning. If we made those changes we could retain Leinster. But we're certainly not going to trouble the business end this year.

[Capt Pat]

Who else will challenge Dublin in Leinster lads. Who will beat them. Dublin might have put Meath away todays in the first half they were very impressive for a time. If they can take their chances they could be a match for anyone. Any news about davoren's injury.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Indiana - Offaly were so bad that day they made Meath look good and only actually playing when they started to make the subs and put on guys like McManus etc who could actually play football...

Can't see us missing as many chances again and B Brogan certainly won't...

[Shamrock Shore]

If Meath were any good they would have won it handy.

But they weren't.

Good crowd. Muted atmosphere. Toes frozen off me. Amazing the number watching the Kerry v Cork game on the Croke Park tellys and ignoring the hurling game 'outside'.

[heffo]

A really crap game. Standard of football was very low.

2 minutes added time was a joke. There should have been atleast 5 minutes added time. Where they got the 2 minutes is beyond me, typical Dublin bias as per usual. Dublin is all hype, they'll get no where, every year is "their year" they wont threaten anyone this year. They'll have no one shaking in their boots, that said, we all know what the papers will say tomorrow.

Can you sort Paul Griffin out with Donal Og's mobile number? Sure we can go and strike like your bunch of professional product launchers who occasionally play Hurling.

Poor game - 17 wides is shocking - the two minutes injury time is shocking.

PS Reillers - when are you going to stop being a coward and stop avoiding Bobby down in the Bishopstown bar?

[muppet]

Dire game, but Dublin should be through to another Leinster Final and probably won't know their true abilities until then.

What the hell has gone so wrong with Meath football. That is one of the most diabolical Meath teams that I have seen take the field.

Mr Duffy of course was played a blinder at ruining any chance of a good game. The more matches you watch the clearer it is that the referees are dominating too much - not because of the rules, but their own inability to control the game properly. Duffy of course was on his best behaviour and was lauded in Croke Park in February when Dublin played Tyrone - their could be no yellow cards unless patently justified as part one of a great plan to bring in new rules without much criticism. Today in a game lacking any real contact (but a huge amount of diving  - young Davoren played a blinder here) there were yellow cards flying around all over the place. Now imagine if Congress had passed the new laws....

As for the stoppage time - ridiculous. The funny thing is the Meath crowd will be giving out about this, with the Dubs laughing. If Meath had scored a last minute goal could you imagine the craic!

I was on the road for the 1st half and watched the second half on the box.

First of all the guy on the radio who gave the update of the Kerry/Cork game and then announced the build up to the 'derbies don't get any bigger than Dublin v Meath' needs a good slapping followed by a months solitary confinement with Pat Spillane (could kill two birds that).

Secondly I fell asleep watching players handpassing the ball wide from 3 yards only to wake up only to see the 2 minutes injury time. He played three minutes blowing up when Meath were on the attack and should have played four at least according to the commentators. If Meath had scored that goal we would have had a situation where he had to play more injury time to allow the Dubs equalise or he would have been lynched.

Isn't it time to take time keeping off the muppet in the middle and give it to a muppet on the sideline?

[Dinny Breen]

I agree about our set-up and I think McGeeney and Grimley are doing a fine job but Dublin have some very talented footballers, Gilroy will learn from this and I can't see the Dublin fowards playing so poorly again, the stop start nature of the game didn't suit Dublin at all and someone needs to remind Ger Brennan he was playing CHB, a good footballer but poor positional discipline.

Dublin should retain it but they probably need to meet Kildare in the Final if they want to progress further

a) Because Kildare always raise their game for the Dubs and should give it a right rattle
b) There is a rivalary there from U21 among a lot of the players and although nowhere near the scale of Meath or Kerry the Dubs love putting us back in our box
c) Kildare will bring a good support creating an intense atmosphere
d) The tactical acumen of Grimly and McGeeney will test the Dublin management.

That potential Leinster final could prepare Dublin for a proper assault on the All-Ireland.

Leinster is a poor province, Dublin haven't been properly tested apart from the drawn Meath game in 2007, Dublin need to meet an in-form Kildare side in the final and beat them in a tight game, with the way the draw is this I'd actually fancy them to make the All-Ireland final, but only if they've had a full examination before the quarter-finals.

[INDIANA]

Indiana - Offaly were so bad that day they made Meath look good and only actually playing when they started to make the subs and put on guys like McManus etc who could actually play football...

Can't see us missing as many chances again and B Brogan certainly won't...

DSFM you don't offer any objective analysis when it comes to Dublin. That was brutal today . You are perfectly entitled to hold onto your hopes that by some miracle Dublin might beat tyrone this year. We haven't a feckin chance is the reality. Winning a leinster championship isn't worth anything anymore.
Kildare are a good side and have a good chance of winning Leinster in my view. They won't pack it win like meath did today. Dinny is underselling them in my view. A Leinster championship for Kildare would be massive.
We need to make the 6/7 personnel changes now to give ourselves any chance of even designs on making the last 4.

[Donnellys Hollow]

DSFM you don't offer any objective analysis when it comes to Dublin. That was brutal today . You are perfectly entitled to hold onto your hopes that by some miracle Dublin might beat tyrone this year. We haven't a feckin chance is the reality. Winning a leinster championship isn't worth anything anymore.
Kildare are a good side and have a good chance of winning Leinster in my view. They won't pack it win like meath did today. Dinny is underselling them in my view. A Leinster championship for Kildare would be massive.
We need to make the 6/7 personnel changes now to give ourselves any chance of even designs on making the last 4.

I'd be confident Kildare would pose a stronger challenge than Meath IF we are to meet in a Leinster Final. We have improved significantly but at the same time, we still have plenty of limitations.

I can't see Dublin playing as bad again though. A result like today's might not do them any harm. It could well be the kick up the arse that some of their team needed. Half the problem with Dublin over the past few years has been that they've steamrollered over the likes of Laois, Wexford, Offaly and Louth early on in the summer and then got carried away with themselves. If they were to end up going into the big games in August as underdogs it might just suit them.

[INDIANA]

The other question I have is for Meath fans? Meath football is in crisis after that today. That was back to the 70's for Meath they were so bad today. I saw Meath earlier in the year and I said to Jinxy do they embrace any modern training techniques? I don't believe they do. They are very few top 10-12 teams dublin would have beaten today.
I know we're struggling but Christ of almighty Meath are in the abyss.

[Tony Baloney]

If Meath were any good they would have won it handy.

But they weren't.

Good crowd. Muted atmosphere. Toes frozen off me. Amazing the number watching the Kerry v Cork game on the Croke Park tellys and ignoring the hurling game 'outside'.

There were plenty from both sides pinting during the football too. I can't say I'm surprised that the Dubs would rather prop up the bar than support their hurling team. Dublin were poor in both matches today and won both. They'll go nowhere this year in either code though playing as they did today.

[muppet]

If Meath were any good they would have won it handy.

But they weren't.

Good crowd. Muted atmosphere. Toes frozen off me. Amazing the number watching the Kerry v Cork game on the Croke Park tellys and ignoring the hurling game 'outside'.

There were plenty from both sides pinting during the football too. I can't say I'm surprised that the Dubs would rather prop up the bar than support their hurling team. Dublin were poor in both matches today and won both. They'll go nowhere this year in either code though playing as they did today.

If I was at that game I would probably have gone for a pint too.