Kerry V Meath AI SF Semifinal 30th August 2009

[INDIANA]

I'd disagree, especially when you factor in Donaghy's injury and lay off and O'Sullivan and Cooper's form. I'd have O'Neill and Goulding over Darren O'Sullivan every time and Pierce O'Neill is a better center forward than Declan O'Sullivan this year, take out the Dublin game and many Kerry players have been poor. Factor in Cork's ability against Dublin's and the freak nature of that game and you have only one winner IMO.

Not as a conventional 11. O Neill is essentially a midfielder at 11 which Cork use to good effect but if he was matched up with a 6 of a similar size I don't think he'd be as effective at 11. i don't know why Cork don't use O Neill at midfield as its his best position.

[tyssam5]

Decent of Meath to get that 1-1 at the end as I had them at +5 

[Logan]

I'd disagree, especially when you factor in Donaghy's injury and lay off and O'Sullivan and Cooper's form. I'd have O'Neill and Goulding over Darren O'Sullivan every time and Pierce O'Neill is a better center forward than Declan O'Sullivan this year, take out the Dublin game and many Kerry players have been poor. Factor in Cork's ability against Dublin's and the freak nature of that game and you have only one winner IMO.

Not as a conventional 11. O Neill is essentially a midfielder at 11 which Cork use to good effect but if he was matched up with a 6 of a similar size I don't think he'd be as effective at 11. i don't know why Cork don't use O Neill at midfield as its his best position.

I think you'll see him there for a bit in the final - even if it's just to wind up O'Se

... but there's no way he's a patch on O'Sullivan

[INDIANA]

I'd disagree, especially when you factor in Donaghy's injury and lay off and O'Sullivan and Cooper's form. I'd have O'Neill and Goulding over Darren O'Sullivan every time and Pierce O'Neill is a better center forward than Declan O'Sullivan this year, take out the Dublin game and many Kerry players have been poor. Factor in Cork's ability against Dublin's and the freak nature of that game and you have only one winner IMO.

Not as a conventional 11. O Neill is essentially a midfielder at 11 which Cork use to good effect but if he was matched up with a 6 of a similar size I don't think he'd be as effective at 11. i don't know why Cork don't use O Neill at midfield as its his best position.

I think you'll see him there for a bit in the final - even if it's just to wind up O'Se

... but there's no way he's a patch on O'Sullivan

o Neills game is about fielding posession and running hard direct lines at the defence. Match him up for size at 11 and you'll negate him. Play him midfield and he's a different animal because he's an exceptional fielder of the ball.

[johnpower]

Just home .Great  to be in another final . Not a great game indeed a very poor one in parts but its only a semifinal . The surface did not play well today or did both teams take the wrong options ?..How wmay times did the ball go over the end line ans/or sideline . ? There was a breeze there but the shooting was bad by both teams .

[Leo]

Just home .Great  to be in another final . Not a great game indeed a very poor one in parts but its only a semifinal . The surface did not play well today or did both teams take the wrong options ?..How wmay times did the ball go over the end line ans/or sideline . ? There was a breeze there but the shooting was bad by both teams .

Some boy from Kerry coined the phrase "puke football". Watching that today I n ow know whatr he means. Absolute dross start to finish with the "John O'Donoghue" of refereeing (i.e. arrogant tosser) in the middle. Ugh!

[goldenyears]

Backed kerry -4 today and was home in a boat til last minute. Fkn gutted now + hope cork stuff kerry now!

Yes I am taking it badly!

[johnpower]

Just home .Great  to be in another final . Not a great game indeed a very poor one in parts but its only a semifinal . The surface did not play well today or did both teams take the wrong options ?..How wmay times did the ball go over the end line ans/or sideline . ? There was a breeze there but the shooting was bad by both teams .

Some boy from Kerry coined the phrase "puke football". Watching that today I n ow know whatr he means. Absolute dross start to finish with the "John O'Donoghue" of refereeing (i.e. arrogant t**ser) in the middle. Ugh!

That would be Pat Spillane

[thejuice]

Well, whats there to say. Game was dire. Some awful play, mostly by ourselves. Kerry looked comfortable enough in the end. We had plenty of possession, enough to have won the game, but our shooting and passing was very poor. Kerry's backs had our forwards well marshelled, but I still think we could have won that game, with the possession we had. The ball into Sheridan clearly wasn't working, it was bread and butter for the backs. It was so predictable. But I dont know if there was any changes that would have made a difference. Forwards were off form.

Moyles should have been moved, sure we all saw it coming, perhaps he shouldn't even have started there. We'll have Reilly fit again and playing in his proper possition. Paddy O'Rouke needs to tighten up his game. He made some poor decisions with the ball and had some other shakey moments. Peadar Byrne and Burke played well and we needed more men like them fighting for the ball, Moyles for instance should have been around the middle.

Anyway, 2009 wasn't a bad year, we can certainly improve our play. Tighten up the passing, get Reilly fit, Shane O'Rourke. Eamonn has done an alright job though some of his decisions were questionable during the year. Some good talent in the minor ranks that can be drafted into the senior team. Watching the analysis now and Colm is right in saying that we are lacking in really top class players.

[comethekingdom]

Ok - we won but a far inferior performance to the dublin game. Then again the conditions weren't great. The pitch was like a skating rink. T o Se, Seamus, Tadgh, Paul and Tommy Walsh were our outstanding performers today. Thought Darragh was quiet especially in the 1st half. The free taking issue raised its ugly head again today - a 45 at one stage was taken short by the Gooch to no avail. All in all we are where we want to be - back in the final and theres no better place to be at the end of August.

[Hoof Hearted]

Ok - we won but a far inferior performance to the dublin game. Then again the conditions weren't great. The pitch was like a skating rink. T o Se, Seamus, Tadgh, Paul and Tommy Walsh were our outstanding performers today. Thought Darragh was quiet especially in the 1st half. The free taking issue raised its ugly head again today - a 45 at one stage was taken short by the Gooch to no avail. All in all we are where we want to be - back in the final and theres no better place to be at the end of August.

why is there so much hatred for Kerry all over the country ?
reading through a couple of threads and it's all anti-Kerry, i don't understand it.
Is is because of Pat Spillane ? I think this Kerry team is fantastic. they weren't good to watch for most of today, but in general, over the last 10 years, they have been brilliant and AI final wouldnt be the same without them

[From the Bunker]

Can we please now erase the Pure and utter MYTH that Meath teams are never Beat! They have been beat year in year out for the lasty 10 years and bar the old come back here and there they are no better at sticking in there than any other county!

[Donnellys Hollow]

Ok - we won but a far inferior performance to the dublin game. Then again the conditions weren't great. The pitch was like a skating rink. T o Se, Seamus, Tadgh, Paul and Tommy Walsh were our outstanding performers today. Thought Darragh was quiet especially in the 1st half. The free taking issue raised its ugly head again today - a 45 at one stage was taken short by the Gooch to no avail. All in all we are where we want to be - back in the final and theres no better place to be at the end of August.

why is there so much hatred for Kerry all over the country ?
reading through a couple of threads and it's all anti-Kerry, i don't understand it.
Is is because of Pat Spillane ? I think this Kerry team is fantastic. they weren't good to watch for most of today, but in general, over the last 10 years, they have been brilliant and AI final wouldnt be the same without them

You're not alone in not understanding the anti-Kerry undercurrent on here HH. I've Kerry blood in me, so I am biased but I've nothing but admiration for this Kerry team. I can only presume it is due to the large Tyrone contingent on here.

The match today was cat but it could be the perfect way for Kerry to come into the final now. Semi-finals are for winning, it is all about the result. There's no point in playing exhibition football in a semi-final and then fail to show up at all in the AIF (remember 2001?). I got the impression at the match that Kerry had plenty left in the tank today. The final could be the last hurrah for a few of these Kerrymen (Darragh Ó Sé, Diarmuid Murphy, Tommy Griffin, Mike McCarthy). They won't want their last appearance in Croke Park to be an All-Ireland defeat to the greatest rivals.

[comethekingdom]

Ok - we won but a far inferior performance to the dublin game. Then again the conditions weren't great. The pitch was like a skating rink. T o Se, Seamus, Tadgh, Paul and Tommy Walsh were our outstanding performers today. Thought Darragh was quiet especially in the 1st half. The free taking issue raised its ugly head again today - a 45 at one stage was taken short by the Gooch to no avail. All in all we are where we want to be - back in the final and theres no better place to be at the end of August.

why is there so much hatred for Kerry all over the country ?
reading through a couple of threads and it's all anti-Kerry, i don't understand it.
Is is because of Pat Spillane ? I think this Kerry team is fantastic. they weren't good to watch for most of today, but in general, over the last 10 years, they have been brilliant and AI final wouldnt be the same without them

You're not alone in not understanding the anti-Kerry undercurrent on here HH. I've Kerry blood in me, so I am biased but I've nothing but admiration for this Kerry team. I can only presume it is due to the large Tyrone contingent on here.

The match today was cat but it could be the perfect way for Kerry to come into the final now. Semi-finals are for winning, it is all about the result. There's no point in playing exhibition football in a semi-final and then fail to show up at all in the AIF (remember 2001?). I got the impression at the match that Kerry had plenty left in the tank today. The final could be the last hurrah for a few of these Kerrymen (Darragh Ó Sé, Diarmuid Murphy, Tommy Griffin, Mike McCarthy). They won't want their last appearance in Croke Park to be an All-Ireland defeat to the greatest rivals.

Exactly ! - expect these boys to play like men possessed. Hope Darragh dosent get riled by O'Neill. JOC will be doing a lot of planning and scheming over the next few weeks. I can't see Donaghy starting as he's had no game time.However its great to have Tommy Walsh on song again.

[Jinxy]

We could have done without losing Stephen Bray after 2 mins as well.