An Lú v An Iarmhí

Croí na hÉireann · May 14, 2015, 03:11:40 PM

Can't believe a championship match is actually going to go ahead in Drogeda but how and ever. Westmeath team is:

Darren Quinn
John Gilligan, Kevin Maguire, Killian Daly
Paddy Holloway, Kieran Martin, James Dolan
Darragh Daly, Ger Egan
Paul Sharry, Ray Connellan, John Stapleton
Callum McCormack, John Heslin, Shane Dempsey.

Hard to know how that team will line out, endless possibilities. Louth will be ready for us as they always are. This game could go any direction and the rain will turn the pitch back into February. We weren't too bad in February actually, here's hoping.

Rossfan · May 14, 2015, 04:22:41 PM

Holding it on the green grassy slopes at Drogheda shows how few the Leinster Council expect to attend the game !
Sadly this game is comparable to the early counts in an Election....... $:-\$

AZOffaly · May 14, 2015, 04:26:42 PM

Quote from: Rossfan on May 14, 2015, 04:22:41 PM
Holding it on the green grassy slopes at Drogheda shows how few the Leinster Council expect to attend the game !
Sadly this game is comparable to the early counts in an Election....... $:-\$

Not sure what you mean by that? It's a championship game, and will mean a lot to the players and supporters of each team. And if you mean in terms of likely winners, then it's as similar to the early counts of an election as all the other early round games go that don't feature a big gun. Jaysus Roscommon are getting awful uppity recently. Are ye going to be the new Clare?

Croí na hÉireann · May 14, 2015, 04:33:14 PM

Quote from: AZOffaly on May 14, 2015, 04:26:42 PM
Quote from: Rossfan on May 14, 2015, 04:22:41 PM
Holding it on the green grassy slopes at Drogheda shows how few the Leinster Council expect to attend the game !
Sadly this game is comparable to the early counts in an Election....... $:-\$

Not sure what you mean by that? It's a championship game, and will mean a lot to the players and supporters of each team. And if you mean in terms of likely winners, then it's as similar to the early counts of an election as all the other early round games go that don't feature a big gun. Jaysus Roscommon are getting awful uppity recently. Are ye going to be the new Clare?

Actually win something and they are there. Capacity capped at 4K, lowest I can ever recall.

AZOffaly · May 14, 2015, 04:34:14 PM

And the sad thing (regarding the Leinster Championship venues) is 4K in Drogheda for Westmeath and Louth will still probably feel more like a real championship game than 20,000 in Croke Park.

Rossfan · May 14, 2015, 04:45:59 PM

Quote from: AZOffaly on May 14, 2015, 04:26:42 PM
Quote from: Rossfan on May 14, 2015, 04:22:41 PM
Holding it on the green grassy slopes at Drogheda shows how few the Leinster Council expect to attend the game !
Sadly this game is comparable to the early counts in an Election....... $:-\$

Not sure what you mean by that? It's a championship game, and will mean a lot to the players and supporters of each team. And if you mean in terms of likely winners, then it's as similar to the early counts of an election as all the other early round games go that don't feature a big gun. Jaysus Roscommon are getting awful uppity recently.

Ah sure we're a D1 team now ya know

It's sad because you'd expect teams that won Leinster Finals in the last 11 years ( 2004 and 2010

) to be having some say in the Provincial Championship but the result of this game will have no effect on the outcome of the Leinster championship.
Sadly....

Croí na hÉireann · May 14, 2015, 05:01:53 PM

Quote from: AZOffaly on May 14, 2015, 04:34:14 PM
And the sad thing (regarding the Leinster Championship venues) is 4K in Drogheda for Westmeath and Louth will still probably feel more like a real championship game than 20,000 in Croke Park.

Maybe. Will see how its set up. Are they going to have the grassy hill enclosed and count numbers for safety or will it be totally cordoned off like the grassy banks in Navan. Will be some jockeying for position around the wall if that's the case.

Itchy · May 14, 2015, 10:49:20 PM

Quote from: Rossfan on May 14, 2015, 04:22:41 PM
Holding it on the green grassy slopes at Drogheda shows how few the Leinster Council expect to attend the game !
Sadly this game is comparable to the early counts in an Election....... $:-\$

At least the grassy slopes aren't on the pitch like the hyde

Jinxy · May 15, 2015, 09:57:04 AM

Best of luck to both teams.

larryin89 · May 15, 2015, 06:43:24 PM

Good luck to both teams , hard one to call .

( don't pay any heed to the Roscommon lad, it's not his fault , every single one of them have lost the plot , since Evans said they're going to win Sam in the next couple of years) I actually think they are friggin loopers.

Rossfan · May 15, 2015, 10:12:12 PM

Quote from: larryin89 on May 15, 2015, 06:43:24 PM

( don't pay any heed to the Roscommon lad, it's not his fault , every single one of them have lost the plot , since Evans said they're going to win Sam in the next couple of years)

Feck off Larryeen. There's a small chance we might win Sam some time but everyone including yereselves know that ye hoors will NEVER WIN SAM.

Croí na hÉireann · May 18, 2015, 10:34:34 AM

Deserved win yesterday in Drogeda. Not a bad game considering the weather and the condition of the pitch wasn't as bad as I remembered it. Rest of the ground a joke really for a championship match.

Surprised Louth got relegated if that was their league form, they have some handy young fellas and took some nice points. Although we'd want to be putting more pressure on some of those shots, we never really got enough of a hand on them in the backs. Kevin Maguire had a good battle with Grimes but the rest were quiet. Ger Egan was motm in midfield, won every Westmeath kickout in the second half and never took it out of top gear, unbelievable stamina. After a ropey league by his standards he seems to have accustomed to the role of captain and certainly led the line yesterday. Ray Connellan took the first point of the game well but really impressed when moved into midfield towards the end of the game, could be his best position. Callum McCormack worked like a dog in the first half and took the goal well. That was one of the most pleasing aspects of yesterday's game actually, the working of the goal opportunities and delivering the ball to the man in the best position to make sure of the goal. Shows a team working together for the collective rather than the individual trying to impress for himself. Heslin was well marked contry to reports but when he did get his hands on the ball he used it very well. As did Shane Dempsey, an excellent debut performance. Stapleton and Paddy Holloway performed admirably as well and put a good shift in. The other debutant, Killian Daly, got stuck on his heels a bit and didn't quite reach his league levels but will get there I'm sure.

Wexford next in Cusack Park in 4 weeks time. Will have Sharry and Glennon back for that and Kieran Gavin should be there or thereabouts. Another win and the year will be looking up. Not beyond us but we will have to firm up at the back and cut down on the opposition shots. 16 points, 12 from play, is too big a total to be conceding. Particularly on a wet day. Great to be up and running though.