The Wicklow Vales For Meath (15/06/2013)

[Jinxy]

Midfield is where we need him the most I'd say.
We're simply not mobile enough.
I'd love to see himself and Menton centrefield.

[thejuice]

Less than a week to go. At long last. It's a long oul wait between championship seasons to roll around.

Talk of tickets being sold out already. 

My stab at picking a team for what its worth:

Paddy O'Rourke

Donal Keogan, Kevin Reilly, Davy Dalton,

Ciaran Lenehan, Bryan Menton, Seamus Kenny(if he's fit?),


Brian Meade, Conor Gillespie,


Eamonn Wallace, Graham Reilly, Damien Carroll,

Brian Farrell, Stephen Bray, Mickey Newman.

[Jinxy]

I think we have to try something different at midfield.
I'd put Biggy back in there and get him to run from deep.
We can't carry two slow midfielders.

[Ard-Rí]

In the absence of any other news (other than Mick O'Dowd waffling about how great Wicklow are), I'll pick my XV for what it's worth. While Gillespie and Meade are both slow Jinxy, I felt they turned in some very good performances towards the end of the league, and it would be unfair to change the set up now. In any case, moving Biggy to Midfield is exactly what we did against Wicklow last year, so even if it caught them on the hop initially, they'd be likely to cotton on to it fairly quickly. Dalton and Harrington rumoured to be injured, not sure what the score is on those injuries. Returning players are Seamus Kenny, and Mickey Burke.

P O'Rourke
Keoghan    Menton    Curran
Lenihan    K Reilly    M Burke

Gillespie     --     Meade

Gilsenan    G Reilly    D Carroll
Wallace    S Bray    M Newman

Now presuming something like this is picked, then we have a lot of new faces. More than half the team would be accounted for in those that have 2 years or less Championship experience. Mick O'Dowd might choose to go with P Byrne and Farrell in the forwards in place of a couple of the younger lads, but considering that his plan this year has been focussed towards youth, I doubt it. If Dalton is not injured, he will start ahead of Burke. Seamus Kenny will probably miss out as a result of his long absence. Regardless of the line-up, I'd be reasonably confident of victory. I have a lot more faith in O'Dowd than Banty, and I'm pretty sure he'll have the lads' heads in the right place going out to play. I would be more worried as the championship progresses, even young teams that went on to be great have shipped heavy defeats in the stage of their early development. Championship is nearly upon us, you can't but be excited at the prospect!

[thejuice]

Whats your reasoning for having K Reilly at 6 and Menton at 3 rather than the other way round?

[Ard-Rí]

Well, that's how we played the league, so both players are bound to have a certain familiarity with their role in the team at this point, though you could argue that both are equally comfortable in either position. Mainly though, Menton is inclined to roam up the pitch and playing him at Centre-Half would give him the freedom to do that. It's a matter of preference really, but I see Centre-Half as a holding role and I'd pick Kevin Reilly there as a result.

[Declan]

O'rourke,
Keogan,Reilly,Menton;
Lenehan,king,Burke;
Meade,Gillespie;
Byrne,Carroll,Reilly;
Wallace,bray,Newman

Meath team v Wicklow -

Caoimhin back at CHB and he hasn't played a game there for us all year

[Croí na hÉireann]

O'rourke,
Keogan,Reilly,Menton;
Lenehan,king,Burke;
Meade,Gillespie;
Byrne,Carroll,Reilly;
Wallace,bray,Newman

Meath team v Wicklow -

Caoimhin back at CHB and he hasn't played a game there for us all year

Edit: Oh, you mean the club. Nearly had heart failure!

[Declan]

Edit: Oh, you mean the club. Nearly had heart failure!

Good man Croi!

[thejuice]

Seems like a strong team out there. Really looking forward to see how the younger lads get on in a championship game. They've had the league and now we'll see if they are ready for the real deal. I can see what Mick O'Dowd is going for and its clear how a player like Cian Ward didn't fit that plan but I wonder will that be someone we end up missing if we progress to meet title condenders with all due respect to Wicklow and others. And I don't think we are contenders either.

[thejuice]

Is there no one from Wicklow on this board here to raise a bit of ire with?

Could someone from Louth, Cavan, Kildare or Westmeath step in to the role (which should be familiar as Royal antagonists) in their stead.

I'd ask a Dub but sure what would they know about fupple from beyond the pale?

[rodney trotter]

 Wicklow must be saving their talking for the pitch, Was big Joe dropped or carrying an Injury?

[thejuice]

Joe is still in the squad but the new manager Mick O'Dowd is putting greater emphasis on speed in the forward lines from what I gather.

[Ard-Rí]

It's quiet .... too quiet ...

[Collins]

How did Bray miss!? 

Fook me that was brutal. Why did he want to hit it so hard? Why didn't he keep it along the ground?

ffs