Galway v Meath official thread

[GalwayBayBoy]

Anyway might as well get this one going. Clash of two former aristocrats of the game. Repeat of 01 All-Ireland, etc, etc.

My gut feeling is this one could go either way really. Galway were putrid against Sligo. Meath I hear weren't particularly impressive against Fermanagh. We have a good record against Meath in championship football but don't think it will count for much next weekend as both sides battle for the dubious honour of playing either Kerry or Tyrone.

[Owenmoresider]

don't think it will count for much next weekend as both sides battle for the dubious honour of playing either Kerry or Tyrone.

But if ye win, ye could meet Dublin surely? Likewise Meath with us, would be interesting in that scenario to see how much things have changed since the league meeting. Meath to win this tie IMHO.

[GalwayBayBoy]

don't think it will count for much next weekend as both sides battle for the dubious honour of playing either Kerry or Tyrone.

But if ye win, ye could meet Dublin surely? Likewise Meath with us,

Apparently according to someone on another thread it's a completely open draw for the quarter-finals so we could get any of the provincial winners if we were to beat Meath.

[The Real Laoislad]

Anyway might as well get this one going. Clash of two former aristocrats of the game. Repeat of 01 All-Ireland, etc, etc.

My gut feeling is this one could go either way really. Galway were putrid against Sligo. Meath I hear weren't particularly impressive against Fermanagh. We have a good record against Meath in championship football but don't think it will count for much next weekend as both sides battle for the dubious honour of playing either Kerry or Tyrone.

Get off the fence would ya

I'd go for Galway to win

[Duine Eile]

Two evenly enough matched teams I'd say. Would Mullingar would seem the most likely venue? Just back from Killererin Dunmore game in Tuam Stadium, Padraic and Nicky Joyce flying so hopefully they can keep that up, think we're well capable of a win here but a lot depends which version of this Galway team shows up. Might be worth putting Mike Meehan on Darren Fay in at 14 and moving Padraic to the 40 and see what happens, we need at least one of them to spark if we want to have a hope of winning. The loss of Geraghty and Sheridan is a big blow to Meath though they got over Fermanagh so they obviously had the players to fill their boots. Have to admit I don't know a whole lot about this Meath team but hopefully will be a good game.

PS Galway lads: Corofin just got dumped out of the club championship, woohoo!

[galwayman]

Any word on a time/venue for this game yet?
Also DE what was the score in the Dunmore/Killererin game?

[seanshunt]

Killerarin hockeyed them, 16-7, turned into the Nicky Joyce show in the second half, wouldnt rate them as a serious contendors tho, its down to Salthill or Caltra with the champs out, very poor display by Corofin, ruderless and leaderless but good old Kinneavy gave Milltown absolutely everything but good luck to them,deserved winners.  the scan's arent the worst skin's, not as bitter when it comes to their hatred of Corofin as the Barnadearg byes. Jealousy is a cruel mistress.
Serious display by Mullaghy, if Forde was there (which I doubt) it would give him alot to mull on while choosing his backs. Can see Fitzy coming under serious pressure to hold his spot, Comer back in the corner and Coyne or Mullaghy on the wing, midfield the same and he could pick the six forwards out of a hat and have as much of a shot of getting it right, just make sure Nicky Joyce starts on the wing and Armstrong in the corner, after that I'd start PJ, Savo, Mike Meehan and Ja, doesnt matter where they start Forde will switch everyone of them after 5 mins,

[Jinxy]

Will Galway line out as in the Connacht final? What are the likely changes if any?

[galwayman]

Imho Mullaghy doesn't have the pace for senior county football. He's been tried in the league in the past and been found out as his lack of pace has meant he's been roasted by county forwards.
Also, it has been proven time and again that Comer is not suited to corner back.He is not a tight enough marker or indeed does not possess the pace required for a corner back slot. When he has played there in the past for Galway he has also been roasted on numerous occasions. The one really good game he had at corner back was in the u-21 AI final in 2002 when he marked Alan Brogan out of the game.
A few months later the tables were turned at senior level though when Brogan absolutely roasted Comer in the league scoring 5 or 6 points from play off him.

I don't think Fitzy did badly in the Connacht final - the full back line were certainly not to blame for that defeat. I thought they did alright considering that Galway were winning little or no possession and wave after wave of attack was coming at them.
For Galway it is all about the attitude of the players. If they go onto the pitch with the right attitude and requisite hunger then we will be a hard team to beat.
The trouble is, you never know from game to game what the attitude will be like and if the players will be motivated enough to put in a big performance.
Padraic Joyce for instance looks disinterested and totally unwilling to put his body on the line to win any hard ball.He has all the talent in the world but not the motivation or desire to match it this year I'm afraid.
I can't understand the attitude of the Galway team at times. Even the likes of Ja,Joyce and Savo who have 2 AI medals apiece - I mean the last of these was obtained fully 6 years ago. Surely they must be hungry for further success at this stage?Look at Kerry - they have won 4 of the last 10 All-Irelands and in the 6 seasons since the backdoor was introduced the worst they have done is reach the semi-final!! There's no problem with their hunger.Now I accept that Kerry would have more quality overall than us so it is not comparing like with like really but the argument I make is that they are still so hungry for success, whereas watching Galway over the last few years there just doesn't seem to be the same hunger or desire to win. It is obvious to see in the body language of certain players.

[GalwayBayBoy]

For Galway it is all about the attitude of the players. If they go onto the pitch with the right attitude and requisite hunger then we will be a hard team to beat.

Jack O'Connor seems to think so anyway.

Jack O'Connor's Column Galway's hurlers and footballers need to find the heart and stomach for battle

There will be two stewards' inquiries in Galway this week: one for the hurlers and one for the footballers. The only consolation is that they are inquiries and not post-mortems.

Both teams are still alive but will have to be prepared for a week when there will be more talking done than training. Tough talking too.

Both sides were outfought at the weekend and that's the biggest sin.

People might have thought Ger Loughnane was losing the plot during the week with his familiar brand of straight talking.

He knew what he was doing; by raising the temperature to boiling point in Ennis he put himself in a position to discover at what precise temperature his team would melt.

Having turned the heat up he must have been pretty disappointed with the results. Still, it's best to find out a team has a heart problem when there is still a chance of surgery and rehabilitation.

Any other manager would have spent last week praising all and sundry in Clare and trying to buy himself a bit of goodwill. Ger took the high-wire approach and at least now he knows the worst. Ger doesn't do comfort zones. If he did he'd still be in the TV studio telling other managers how to do it all.

With his own legacy he took a huge risk coming back into the game, and he will have left the narrow confines of Cusack Park on Saturday a wiser man. Now by threatening to walk if he doesn't get a huge response from his players this week, Loughnane has thrown down the gauntlet to his players again. Great drama.

Peter Ford finds himself in a similar position this week but will adopt a different approach. The Galway footballers have reached a crossroads and must make up their minds whether they have the stomach to keep going or would prefer to double back and just go home.

They may have thought they won the Connacht final a few weeks ago when they played Mayo and decided to coast for a while.

It is always a problem for heavily favoured teams to lift it against counties they are expected to beat, and if the attitude isn't right the playing field is levelled.

There is no question about Galway's skills in either football or hurling. The footballers, the forwards especially, are loaded with talent.

That leaves a huge question about their stomach for battle, especially when you look back at how they were outfought by Westmeath in Salthill last year.

The weekend was not just an aberration for Galway's teams. Contrast them with Clare's hard work in hurling or, more pointedly, with Sligo's approach on Sunday.

For Sligo attitude was altitude. They didn't borrow their game plan from the Kieran Donaghy stylebook but held on to the ball, worked like dogs and never felt sorry for themselves.

They had their excuse to fold when they lost Eamonn O'Hara or when they missed those two 21-yard frees.

Ferocious fitness, great work ethic and a style designed to frustrate the opposition and get the ball to a fella who could kick it over the bar did the trick. They lived with the golfing mantra of staying in the moment and playing the game a shot at a time.

Whatever sports psychologist they are using, he or she earned a bonus at the weekend.

What is interesting about the situation in Galway and perhaps in Laois approaching this weekend is watching players who had serious underage success struggling to cope at senior level.

In counties like Kilkenny and Kerry underage success doesn't make you a celebrity or even a guaranteed senior player.

The young hurlers of Galway and the footballers of Laois have grown up winning plenty. Eight of Galway's starting team against Sligo on Sunday, and all four subs they brought in, have All-Ireland under-21 medals.

I can remember Michael Meehan costing us a Hogan Cup five years ago when St Jarlath's beat Coláiste na Sceilge. I tipped him for greatness at that time. He has shown flashes but his senior inter-county career hasn't taken off.

Himself and Seán Armstrong were an incredible twin strike-force at under-21, scoring six goals between them in the final a couple of years ago. They looked set to be the next Clarke and McDonnell combination or even the new Stockwell and Purcell. They have the highest profile of those players who did it at underage but aren't delivering yet at senior.

On all known form and pedigree Galway should have been beating Sligo on Sunday and should have beaten Westmeath last year. They seem to be afflicted with a bit of an attitude problem.

The Galway forwards in particular don't seem to realise they have to win the battle before their more refined skills become relevant.

For Peter Ford this must be especially disappointing. Going back playing a team you formerly managed is always hard, but you expect your players to lift it for you in those circumstances. On Sunday Ford got none of the passion he asked for.

Perhaps in certain counties underage success and the expectation that goes with it are the enemies of promise.

Loughnane has thrown down the challenge to his bright young things.

Peter Ford has the right to demand more too.

© 2007 The Irish Times

[An Fhairche Abu]

Saturday, July 21st

Bank of Ireland Football Qualifiers Round 3

Portlaoise 2.00 Louth v Cork

Portlaoise 4.00 Galway v Meath

Handy enough personally, Dublin to Portlaoise isn't a bad journey at all, nice to be able to take in the Louth and Cork match first.

I think most will agree that regardless of how (going on reports) mediocre Meath were against Fermanagh, we're there to be taken.
A repeat performance of the past 2 Galway matches and it's certain that once again this year the hurlers and footballers will be gone before race week.

Haven't met in the Championship since '01, both counties stock has fallen dramatically in the intervening years. We have a good record historically against Meath teams and while neither team I think will make it past the Q-finals anyway, you'd be hopeful that the lads could raise the performance levels enough to not lose to Meath though, to say I wouldn't be as happy for the opposition next Saturday if they won as I was when Sligo bate us would be a severe understatement.

[GaillimhIarthair]

I just knew we would get Meath.  Even stated it here on the board last week !  Now if only I could get the auld lotto numbers ....

I was up visiting the outlaws over the weekend in Meath and headed along to see the Royals in action on Sat eve.  A poor game all round.  Fermanagh just didnt have the forward power to steer them home and once Mark Little's goal effort came back off the post you just knew their goose was cooked.  Moyles was excellent and was well assisted by Fay and Peadar Byrne.  Geraghty is a big loss to them as he brings alot more structure to their attacks and i would be more hopeful than confident of getting over them on Sat evening.  That being said, we need to improve no end, especially in the desire and hunger depts.  Any repeat on our last two performances and we will be gone regardless of how mediocre the opposition turns out to be.  I'd give us a hesitant vote of confidence.

[Duine Eile]

Jealousy a cruel mistress? What's that supposed to mean?It's not jealousy that makes Killererin hate Corofin, even though hate is a bit strong, it's having to listen to their constant goading and crap.We're a gentle race of people down here, we don't hate anyone, except maybe Gerry Kinneavy but sure who doesn't! If it's hatred and bitterness you want look no further than Milltown, they're still talking about the year we beat them in a replay in Corofin.

Edit: if I remember correctly seanshunt you're a Corofin native aren't ya, ah it all starts to make sense now. Ye had a rotten bad day at the office lord help ye, no need to take it out on Killererin though!

[seanshunt]

DE, think a previous post from you went along the lines of "I'm no Corofin supporter, in fact I hate them and was glad to see them beaten" (against St. Bridgets of Ross), strange thing from a Galway footballer supporter to come out with but thats the gentle race of people in Killerarin for ya. And yes we had a shocking day at the office, only 2nd time the scan's ever beat us in Championship, could be worse, could have been beaten by the Joyce's.
But enough of inter club muckery, on to Saturday, cant say I hold any great hopes, we've been waiting for this team to perform for 5 years and somehow I dont think Forde has it to drag it out of them, one good thing that would come out of it is that it will be the last time we see him in a Maroon and white tracksuit, unless he takes over Annaghdown, which is about where his talent should take him

[myball22]

I think Mayo's and Galway's subsequent performances have shown their Chmapionship game in May for what is was, poor fare from two poor teams. Everyone says that the attitude is wrong (and it looks it to be honest) but maybe we're just not that good. We have a very poor midfield and half forward line, no leadership on the field and no one to change things up if the original plan isn't working.

I would love for us to beat Meath and get Dublin in the qualifiers. If there's one game where we know the attitude will be right, I would say this would be it. Think they need to start Coyne and Armstrong the next day and put Armstrong close to goal where he can cause the most damage.