Kerry V Meath AI SF Semifinal 30th August 2009

[Main Street]

A very disappointing game for an AI SF.
Despite all the informed denials, those disturbances to the surface for the music concert have to be seriously suspect, to the extent of a GAA version of sporting harakiri.

Last year we had a top class exciting game at this level in the pouring rain with Galway and Kerry.
This year a few drizzles ruined the surface for even  basic bog standard play.

[orangeman]

A very disappointing game for an AI SF.
Despite all the informed denials, those disturbances to the surface for the music concert have to be seriously suspect, to the extent of a GAA version of sporting harakiri.

Last year we had a top class exciting game at this level in the pouring rain with Galway and Kerry.
This year a few drizzles ruined the surface for even  basic bog standard play.

Croke Park stadium manager Peter McKenna has conceded that the pitch surface in Croke Park was less than ideal for yesterday's All-Ireland semi-final, but he insisted that it will be ready for Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final between Kilkenny and Tipperary.


The weather affected the play of Kerry and Meath throughout yesterday's clash, with both sides struggling to shine in the conditions.

'In the first half certainly there was slipping that you wouldn't be entirely happy with, particularly with the penalty,' remarked McKenna in the Irish Examiner.

'Some of that you come to expect with a squally, wet day. What you get with light rain like we had today, it sits on top of the grass. If the grass is lush like it is there, you will get a greasy interface. It's something for us to look at, no doubt about it.

'I talked to some of the players and any of the Kerry guys that were wearing six stud boots had no issues. Fellas wearing moulded boots or blade boots certainly did have issues. But we'd like to think that the surface wouldn't be boot-dependant, so we've got some work to look at during the week.'

McKenna ruled out scarifying the pitch before Sunday's final, but reckons that spiking the surface could be helpful.

'I was down on the surface there with our pitch people. One suggestion is that the grass cover is too lush, that we could do with thinning it out somewhat. That's not something we're going to do between now and the finals obviously.

'Ideally we'd look at scarifying it if we had more time, but I'm not inclined to do that, I think that could change the characteristics of the pitch. During the week, we did a lot of spiking on the surface. That breaks it up and gives it a little more traction for the studded foot. We'll do a little bit more of that this week.'

McKenna insisted that laying down a new pitch during the middle of the championship had been a success overall.

'No, the positives we've had from the pitch and the work we've done have been very, very strong. This is the first time we've had criticism.'

[Logan]

The over passing,sidelines, mis placing was awful. I would imagine as a neutral this must have been the worst game this year?? Think P O Rourke cost us at least 3,4 points. I feel sorry for him in a way and maybe he would be alot better in 3 or 4 years (he's 20) but we cant have a goalie like that next season.

Next season, hopefully Kevin Reilly and Shane O'Rourke will be back and we have certainly learned from this year. Paddy is one for the future but, as you say, he may not be at the level still next year. We conceded too many goals this year and they were a combination of full-back-line & goalie errors.

I think they should try & see if Brendan Murphy would come back in. I can tell you he is playing v well for Trim - even ask some of the Dunshaughlin guys whom they beat in the Feis Cup at the weekend. Brendan would also help develop Paddy. Paddy has a great long kickout but I think he panicked a bit yesterday. With Murphy back in and Reilly, O'Rourke and some of the new players we have seen this year I think we would have a chance to give Leinster a reasonable rattle next year.

I believe 100% that Brendan Murphy would have saved both those goals yesterday.
At least get him back in as a goalkeeping coach.

Gallagher even

[Main Street]

Peter McKenna
"This is the first time we've had criticism"

This is the first time the surface had been tested under very mild damp conditions.

edit,
I see there is another thread for the pitch  conditions

[Logan]

In my view Kildare with Mc Geeney there have a chance. The rest are 2/3 years behind the top teams.

With respect - I think you're overrating them
McGeeney has done nothing Micko hasn't done already or another high profile coach coming in might do - it is relatively easy to do what he's done so far - get them fit, focused etc.
Next year is his proper test to see if he's any good and I don't think he'll do anything like he did last year (Grimley leaving will be another blow to him).
On the whole I see Dublin back again next year and it remaining the same.

[Logan]

Leinster are in big trouble
Who is going to come out of Leinster and do anything? Dublin are the Mayo of the province and Kildare, Westmeath and Meath are a league below the big teams.

Mayo are just being Mayo
Promising and pretending but not going to win anything - even that minor team should have been beaten out the gate.
Armagh will eat them.

How so? You say Dublin, WM, Meath and Kildare are below the big teams. This I wouldn't dispute. But, the reality is that there are only three big teams at the moment - Kerry, Cork and Tyrone. Dublin, Meath and Kildare are more than capable of beating the best of the rest as this championship season has proved. Kildare could and maybe should have beaten Tyrone as well but inexperience got the better of us.

Pundits are constantly trotting out the line that the Leinster Championship is useless but there's not much basis to that argument. Granted there's no outstanding teams but is the overall standard any worse than the other three provinces? The rest of Ulster have simply been hanging onto Tyrone's coat tails since Armagh's demise a few years ago. Wicklow put out three Ulster counties in their qualifier run. Kerry Cork is the only game in town down south. Mayo came with high expectations from Connacht but Meath got the better of them when the going got tough.

Kerry, Cork and Tyrone are a country mile ahead of the pack at the moment but none of these teams are getting any younger. Looking ahead to next year it wouldn't surprise me to see the gap beginning to close.

Leinster football makes no impact at all-ireland level unfortunately DH, thats as good a sign as any. I'm not convinced that even Dublin and Meath will have been beaten by the winners . Only Kildare for me look to be setup in the correct manner for this level.

Yes
My point exactly

[Logan]

Not really Kerry's fault. They just played a team that wasn't at that level and also didn't play well . Meath had to play at the limit of their ability yesterday.

I dont think Meath played to their limit actually but neither did Kerry obviously. I think our limit is somewhere in the last ten mins of the Mayo game. Forwards yesterday couldnt click at all but then ball in was awful and thats when the ball actually came in to them. The over passing,sidelines, mis placing was awful. I would imagine as a neutral this must have been the worst game this year?? Think P O Rourke cost us at least 3,4 points. I feel sorry for him in a way and maybe he would be alot better in 3 or 4 years (he's 20) but we cant have a goalie like that next season. Felt for Bray as well. I would imagine he had a big game in him and to see your captain goin off that early has to have an affect on the team.
overall, Im happy with the progress we've made this year. the Kerrys, Tyrones Corks have worked on their teams for years to get them to this level. We've had one year with this team and I dont think its bad going in that regard. Back to the drawing board, a few changes need to be made for next year but the bones and passion are there again. Realistically we should be looking at Leinster first and foremost. And a few years time we will be up there. Duiblin have had those years to get it right and have not done so. Thats the difference between them and the top 3, nothing to do with  coming from poor Leinster province, you have it or you dont.
as a btw, it realllly annoys me that Tony Davis sat there last night pointing out the difference between Kerry and Meath in forward line. Kerry he said use that terrific diagonal ball, the way it should be done. Meath on the other hand kept kicking high ball hopelessly into the forward line who didnt have the capability of getting their own ball. Roll back to meath Mayo game, Tony Davis.. this is one of things I really like about this Meath team , that direct high ball into the forward line, all of who can catch their own ball.!!!!! sorry but that annoyed me.  make up your mind! 

The question you have to ask though is did Meath get there by planning or by design or by accident?

I think it might be the latter sadly and if that's the case they won't be winning Leinsters anytime soon.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

John O'Keeffe in today's Irish Times, not impressed by the Gooch's theatrics:

...
The penalty was a contentious award that underlines the folly of a defender making any contact with a forward in front of his own goal. The referee made a split-second decision without the benefit of a replay and was conned by Colm Cooper's dramatic dive.

It's something that shouldn't be borrowed from other sports.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

John O'Keeffe in today's Irish Times, not impressed by the Gooch's theatrics:

...
The penalty was a contentious award that underlines the folly of a defender making any contact with a forward in front of his own goal. The referee made a split-second decision without the benefit of a replay and was conned by Colm Cooper's dramatic dive.

It's something that shouldn't be borrowed from other sports.
[/quote

RTE boys more less said that they had criticised Mulligan the previous week for diving so they supposed they had to criticise Gooch to. Nice of them.

[timmykelleher]

Any views on Dara ó Sé's jab to the Meath full-forward's nose?

What was the meath full-forward running into him (twice) for when the ball was out of play?

How did the panel brush over it so quickly?

How did the referee miss it when it happened right beside (/behind) him? (I think he was noting the score)

The Kerry lads put on a big show of pushing and shoving once yer man went down.
Were they rattled that Dara could have been given the line?

[Jinxy]

Dara DID strike Farrell in the face.
I wouldn't want to see Dara miss the final and I don't want the incident to be looked at in more detail.
The thing that annoyed me though was the sunday game panel (Brolly in particular) accusing Farrell of diving.
He must have busted his nose on the way down so. 

[Logan]

Dara DID strike Farrell in the face.
I wouldn't want to see Dara miss the final and I don't want the incident to be looked at in more detail.
The thing that annoyed me though was the sunday game panel (Brolly in particular) accusing Farrell of diving.
He must have busted his nose on the way down so. 

Surprised he didn't claim it was another 'Bloodgate' straight from the Harlequins handbook on substitutions.

[cornafean]

I wouldn't want to see Dara miss the final.

Its not the first year I have heard this comment!

[Kerry1980]

whats this about the gooch diving?
there were fellas sliding and falling all over the place in those conditions without even being touched yet gooch who was pulled can't go down without it being considered a dive 
anyone who knows the man knows he doesn't dive and would have much preferred the chance to put the ball in the back of the net.

[Jinxy]

Would you go way outta that!