Yeah this is going to be tougher on Sunday. Kildare in my book are ahead of the teams we've beaten so far. But what Kildare will show up. The one against Fermanagh or the one that's motivated by the sight of a meath Jersey? This could feel like a championship affair. I just hope we come out on top. I can't bear the thought of another year in Division 2.

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 28/02/2019 23:39:57    2169029

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 709 - 01/03/2019 06:43:39    2169039

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 01/03/2019 09:35:08    2169054

With all the calls to pack out Navan on Sunday, what genius gave the ok to fix a Minor League game in Trim at 12:30, barring we get a lend of the Kepak helicopter there is no prospect of getting in to PT for 2pm throw in after that game. A Joke!!!

longroadback (Meath) - Posts: 300 - 01/03/2019 13:58:06    2169157

jackhackett (Meath) - Posts: 765 - 01/03/2019 14:15:45    2169162

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 01/03/2019 14:29:23    2169168

Are we playing good football I think yeah. Def like when mcentee came in first got lost after defeat to this kildare team then.where it will unfold will b midfield I think there a big mobile unit in that department if meath management are ready for that scenario then a win can b on the cards. If not the same result will b coming. Let's hope we can copethere,have a plan in place for when pressure comes.
Subs will b pivotal to this I think in tailteann should give us a big advantage.kick outs will b crucial for our backs defense unit.short ball from our goalie could b on the cards me thinks.

Reco (Meath) - Posts: 419 - 01/03/2019 14:46:05    2169172

To show how good we have been in the league this year or to show how bad we have been in the league in recent years look at these 2 stats.

1 Meath hope to beat kildare on Sunday. It wud be Meaths third consecutive victory in the league in a row. In the last 12 years we have only once won 3 league games in a row. That was in 2014. If we win on Sunday it will be only the second time in 12 years we have won 3 games in a row in the league.

2 Meath were promoted to div 1 in 2006. This years league campaign so far is the best start to league campaign after 4 games for Meath football since 2006. The year we were last promoted to div 1.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 01/03/2019 15:46:25    2169193

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 01/03/2019 17:03:15    2169214

Donegal v Armagh eir sport 2 tommrow. Just a fyi.

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1192 - 01/03/2019 20:36:45    2169258

Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 02/03/2019 03:15:06    2169320

I said at the start of the league I expected we wud get promoted, So far we r on target for even If we lose on sunday we still have a good chance of promotion. If kildare lose their chances of promtion r gone.

Kildare sud win on sunday. Not because they are hugely better team then Meath, there is not to much between the counties. Kildare are currently ahead. There has been very little between Meath and kildare in the last 15 years. It swings from one county to another. Whoever is stronger is usually Dublins main challenger in the provience. Meath were ahead of kildare between 2007 to 2010 . Kildare were ahead of Meath between 2010 2011. Meath were ahead of kildare between 2012 to 2014. Westmeath were ahead of both in 2015 2016. Kildare were ahead of Meath from 2017 to present. At every stage there was little between counties.

Kildare are ahead of Meath currently, but the gap is not big as one wud think. In both are div 2 teams fighting promotion. Both have had dreadful performances eg Carlow and longford 2018. And both have the best record v top division 1 teams outside the top division recently. For example in last 2 years Kildare have played really well against Mayo Tyrone Monaghan and Galway. While Meath have played really well v Tyrone Donegal ( twice) Galway Roscommon. Both have young teams with good young talent. In terms of players yes kildare have better forwards. And Meath wouldnt have a good midfielder as K Feehily. But kildare wouldnt have as good as defender as keoghan. And Meaths backs eg Keoghan McGill Lavin Gallagher Ryan J McEntee N kane wud be stronger then kildares. But kildares forwards eg Hyland McCormack Flynn wud be stronger then Meath. But there is not that much of a difference. Kildare have good defenders eg Doyle. Meath have good forwards eg Newman Sullivan. However it should be a tight game . But kildare sud be winning by a couple of points.

Kildare are 12 months ahead of Meath at least. Not that Meath have a good chance. If Meath play like we did v Donegal or Armagh and kildare play like they have done so far in the league, Meath will win. But I expect kildares best performance of the league so far to happen on Sunday. Kildare have to win for promotion. If they lose the most they can win is 9 points. It not possible to win promotion with 9 points. Meath cud lose and if they win next 2 games and Donegal lose 1 of their last 3 games v Armagh kildare and Tipp, Meath r promoted. But it wud be out of Meaths hands then. Whoever wins have a great chance of promotion . From the start of the league I thought Meath wud get promoted. But I thought kildare wud be toughest game.

Why kildare sud be favourites to Win.
1 Kildare have division 1 experience and super 8 experience. And have young players who have won an All Ireland underage title. Meath have none of the above.
2 Kildare are in year 4 under O Neill. Meath are in year 3 under McEntee. Kildare are 12 months ahead of Meath in terms of team development.
3 Kildare have experience of winning promotion, Meath dont.
4 Kildare nearly always up their game v Meath. Form goes out the window when it come to a derby. In 2017 Dublins third team defeated kildare in Bynre cup comphresively. The next week kildare who were underdogs hammered Meath in Navan. And this happened allot in last 20 year. Kildare are underdogs play Meath and play brillianty and win. Examples wud be 1998 2003 2010 and twice in 2017.

(Kildare and Meath is a real even rivalry.
Meath have won 19 times v kildare. Kildare 18 times v Meath in the championship. championship.
That is very good record v Meath. Leaving Dublin to one side kildares record v Meath is best in country. Kildare have 6 victories over Meath in 40 years the next best is Offaly and laois on 3 victories apiece and Tyrone with 3 victories are the next best counties record v Meath. )

When kildare play Meath anytime kildare nearly always throw the kitchen sink at Meath. Meath and kildare is the best rivalry in leinster in last 20 years. And at the moment the rivalry has swung towards kildare.

5 Another reason why it is kildare who sud be favs, have a good chance. Allot of these young kildare footballers have beaten Meath at minor and under 21 level. The results in 2017 were carbon copy of results kildare have had over
In last 7 league or championship games Meath have won 3 times Kildare 4 times.
In last 40 years Meath have beaten kildare 6 times in the championship and kildare have beaten Meath 6 times in the Meath at underage level in this decade. However in the last 2 to 3 years Meath minors and under 20 teams are beaten kildare again. Campion and Devine were on teams that have beaten kildare at minor and under 20.

6 I expect a close game. As I said there is not much of gap between the teams. But kildare are ahead of Meath. Meath victory is not impossible and Meath have a good chance. But victory for Meath wud mean the gap between both has closed completely and Meath are making real progress and are turning a corner. However I have a big concern, a worry that we might see a repeat of 2017. Its unlikely but this wud be my worry from
a Meath viewpoint. We havent had a good game between Meath and kildare since 2011 when kildare won in Navan. Since then Meath won a poor game in league when Jason Ryan was kildare manager. Meath won games v kildare comphresively in 2012 and 2014. And kildare won games v Meath comprehensivly in 2017 twice.

7 kildare have a good recent record v Meath in Navan. When kildare beat Meath in the league in 1998 it was first victory for kildare over Meath in Navan in 70 years. Since that kildare have had some good victories in Navan v Meath. Kildare defeated Meath in Navan in 2011 and also in 2017. This is something that Meath have an issue with. Meaths record in Navan is very good. The one area it is poor is v the neighbours in Navan. Meath have had bad losess in Navan v Louth and kildare in this decade in Navan. Meath have a very poor record overall v louth in Navan in this decade.

This is my worry. If Meath were playing any team in div 1 or 2 in Navan I would be quitely confident Meath wud play well. In last 2 years Meath have played well in Navan v Tyrone Donegal Galway and Dublin. The two counties in div 1 or 2 in Navan I wud be very wary of , that is Cavan and kildare . The neighbours.

In the past Meath would play louth kildare Westmeath Cavan , the neighbours would throw the kitchen sink at Meath. Meath wud throw kitchen sink at Louth kildare louth Westmesth Cavan and Meath wud most of the time win. The rivalries witn Cavan kildare Westmeath louth Westmeath and particularly Dublin were the making of Meath football in the past. These battles meant Meath were battle harden when they got out of the provience.

In this decade Meaths record v rival neighbours has been very patchy. A pattern has developed. We play the neighbours the neighbours come out play brillianty with unreal intensity, Meath lack intensity, Meath look shellshocked and the game is over by halftime . Meaths worst performances in this decade have been v the neighbours.

1 Louth 2012. Louth relegate Meath to div 3 in Navan. Louth start brillantly. Meath are shell shocked. The game is over by half time.
2 Monaghan 2013 and 2014 . Monaghan start brillantly. Meath are shellshocked. Both games over by halftime.
3 Dublin 2014. Dublin start brillantly. Meath are shellshocked. Game over by halftime.
3 Westmeath 2015. A bit different. Meath are 6 ahead at half time. Westmeath are brillant in.second half. Meath are shellshocked. Westmeath win by couple of points.
4 Kildare Twice in 2017.
League 2017. Kildare start brillantly. Goal in first minute. Game over by half time.
5 Championship 2017. Kildare start brillantly. Meath are shellshocked. Game over by half timd
6 Cavan 2018 . Cavan are brillant from start to finish. Meath very poor.

Thats 6 of the poorest performance Meath had had in this decade. 6 poor performances v the neighbour in 6 years. And for me there has been a lack of intensity Meath have shown in these local derbys. Cavsn louth kildare all really dislike Meath football ( Thats probaly an understatement). Thats normal. Mesth had sucess. The dislike increased. Only Tippearey in hurling have more rivals on their doorstep then Meath. Tippearey in hurling wud be most hated team traditionally in hurling. Meath players in the past wud play with great intensity in local derbies v kildares and Cavans. I know kildare and Cavan have as good players as Meath recently . I know kildare and Cavan have been stronger then Meath in certain years recently. I know that.

But for me its not that Meath have lost to Cavan or kildare. Its the lack of intensity I have seen from Meath players in local derbies that I have really been really disappointed with. Our players seemed to be taken aback by the intensity when we play the neighbours in this decade. Thats what I will be looking at this weekend. Will Meath match kildares intensity. Do our players not know or understand that these counties dislike for Meath. Do our players not realise the intensity that is required when we play our neighbour rivals.

I was reading an artilce at the weekend on kilkenny v Tippearey. kilkenny v Tippearey is traditionally hurlings biggest and bitterest rivalry. For 40 years kilkenny teams couldnt beat Tipp teams. Since Cody took over kilkenny Tippearey teams have failed so many times to beat kilkenny. Yes Tipp won finals in 2010 and 2014 or was it 2015. But Tippearey havent beaten kilkenny in knowlan park since 2008. And last weekend and in so many games in last 15 years Tipperary couldnt beat kilkenny. At one stage Kilkenny went 9 games unbeaten in a row v Tipp in league and championship. Anyway this Tippearey person said the reason Kilkenny keep beating Tippearey , what he said kilkenny hate us more. Thats not a very scientific reason. But the greatest motivation in gaa is to beat those feckers in the neighbouring parish of neighbouring county. Hating the neighbouri in gaa has always played a central part of the gaa world. Not very PC or modern buts thats a fact. Kildare and Cavan lads and Louth and Westmeath lads in general did in the past and do still hate Meath. Its still there, lurking underneath. It depends on what part of Meath u r from. The north u hate Cavan most. The south u hate kildare most. Everywhere in Meath we hate the Dubs. Of course hate is a strong and in ways over the top word to use. A passionate dislike might be better. But I think everyone knows what I mean. If u r on the Mayo Galway border there is no love lost between Mayo or Galway. If u r on the Tyrone Armagh border there is plenty of rivalry. Even leitrim or Roscommon or Cavan and Monaghan and loais and Carlow many many counties have rivalries were the passion against each other is intense. Kerry have 2 counties on its borders. Meaths have 7 counties, 2 proviences and capital on its border. Football rivalries/ local derbys are central part to the Meath football story. Hating that Meath shower over the border or us Meath shower Hating that crowd across the border. Its been going on for 100 years or more. Not very pc or modern. But it is part of the gaa , part of any sport local derbys local rivalries.

But if u r GAA folllower in any county there is a county u will dislike more then others. Meath with 7 neighbouring counties and Tippearey with 8 neighbouring counties have always being the counties in football and hurling respectively that had the most rivals and some of the most intense rivalries. And both counties traditionally produced great warriors as players from Tipps John Doyle to Meaths Mick Lyons. Tipps and Meath battles with rivals on its doorsteps created Tipp.and Meath teams who played with unreal passions. Rivalries were the key to Tipp and Meaths past sucesses.


Anyway back to the match, I would very surprised if we dont see kildares best performance of the league on Sunday so far. I expect kildare to try and do what they did in 2017. Blow Meath away in the first 20 minutes. I hope if kildare do come out all guns blazing. That Meath will respond with the same intensity and we will have a cracking game. Thats probaly will be most likely outcome. But I just hope we dont see like we saw in 2017.

Both loses by kildare in 2017 had a very negative impact on Meath. First loss we never recovered in 2017 league. Second loss we went defensive to defensive in response to kildare hammering for 12 months after the loss. So I think its unlikely. Both I do have some concerns. For as I said this generation of Meath footballers arent as good as past players. But they have shown a serious lack intensity and passion v the neighbours in local derbies in last 6 years. Yes there has been good games and victories v kildare in 2012 2014 and 2015 , victories v Cavan in 2015 or 2016 and victories over louth in 2011 2016 2017 and victory over Dublin in 2010 and credible performances v Dublin in 2012 2013. But there has been at least 7 local derbys were we have lacked the intensity our neighbours showed in local derby. We need to improve our local derby record soon.

So the match on Sunday sud be a cracker. Kildare sud win by a point or two. But a Meath victory cud also happen. This rivalry I believe will take off in next few years. Both have got their act together at underage recently. And there is serious work being done on the ground in both counties. In the next 5 to 10 years this will make both counties stronger. And the rivalry will go on to the next level. The game on Sunday is another chapter in leinsters best modern rivalry. Hopefully we will see a game as good as some of the classics between Meath v kildare in the past like we did in 1997 1998 2003 2010 2011. And for the sake of leinster football hopefully both counties are promoted to div 1. That wud mean we wud have 3 leinster teams in divsion 1 for the first time since 2000s. That can only be a good thing for leinster football.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 02/03/2019 06:56:26    2169325

I think this game will come down to two areas.
If Meath show the same intensity as kildare, two areas will decide the match. I expect to see kildares best performance of the league on Sunday. So Meath need a performance similar to Donegal and Armagh games.

The two areas r.
In the two games in 2017 there was three areas kildare won the match. Meath have improved in these 3 areas but there is still concerns on the Meath side.

1 Kildare had huge sucess in full forward line , huge sucess in their half forward line and Feehily dominated Midfield.

2 The Meath half back line was tore to pieces in 2017 in both games. Niall kelly was brillant in first game. He is missing , this is a loss for kildare. Meath are stronger with Keoghan at centre back. If Meath had J McEntee Keoghan Kane half back line that wud be Meath best half back line in years. But J McEntee is injurey. And kane while brillant v Donegal was poor v Armagh and lost his place v Cork. Kane is best club wing back in the county for years , he wud be my number 1 wing back in every game. But we cud see Mcoy Keoghan Ryan half back line. Its not as attacking as J McEntee Keoghan Kane but it is stronger half back line then we had in 2017. So Meath sud be stronger in this area. But the loss of J McEntee could be pivotal. He has been man of the match contender in 7 of his last 8 Meath games. Not since Martin O Connell have Meath had a wing back perfoming to such a level. His loss could be the difference in kildare winning. For he is brilliant at breaking first line of defence. All the top teams have top class half backs eg Mccarthy Sullivan Boyle T O Se. All the top teams have top class attacking wing backs eg keegan Harte McCaffrey. For me J McEntee Keoghan Kane are best Meath half back in a while and r division 1 half back line.

2 But the two areas that will decide the match are
a Kildare full forward line v Meath full.back line
b Kevin Feehily v Meath midfield

If Meath full back line gets on top of kildare full forward line and if Meath break even at midfield or even win midfield Meath will.win.
If kildare full forward line get on top of Meath full back line and Feehily wins Midfield kildare will win. If Feehily dominates midfield kildare could hammer us like they did in 2017.

In both games in 2017 the kildare full forward line got the better of Mesth full back line. And in both games Feehily was outstanding at midfield. Dan Flynn was also excellent in both games. He is a big loss for kildare.

(In both game kildare set out and blew Meath out of the game in first 20 mins in both games in 2017. It is so important Meath start well. For I expect kildare to try and do the same thing on Sunday. )

But Hyland McCormack N Flynn is still top class forward line. A division 1 forward line v Meaths division 1 full back line. In their last game Hyland McCormack and N Flynn scored 7 pointe from play. That is top class. Meath full forward line scored 2 points from play v Cork. Every game Meath play kildare in next 4 or 5 years Meath will need to have a plan to stop Hyland McCormack N Flynn and Dan Flynn. That is the best kildare full forward line of last 40 years. Meath always had better inside forwards then kildare or even Dublin. While Meath have good forwards and there is some real good ones coming down the line. Currently Dublin and kildare have better forwards. Hyland is the best forward talent kildare have produced since Larry Tompkins. He looks top class. McCormack is also a quality inside forward. And Neil Flynn is Johnny Doyle natural heir from the frees and can also score from open play. As I said that is a div 1 full forward line kildare have.

But for me Meath full back line is the best one I have seen in years. There is some teams in div 1 that wouldnt have as good a full back line as Meath. Seamus Lavin has turned into a quality effective man marker. Since Mark Reilly retired Niall McKeigue was Meaths best man marker. Lavin is an even better man marker then Mckeigue. He was Meaths best players in last years Byrne cup and early stage of league. The whole team nosedived in the middle of league. He finished league strongly. He kept all.best forwards in Meaths scorelss in Duboynes club title winning run eg Sheridan Mckeever and Dardis. And was also excellent v Paul Mannion in leinster club championship. Again in Byrne cup and league this year he has been excellent and being man of the match contender on numerous occasions and was man of the match v Cork last day. Meath have always had top class corner backs eg Mick O Brien Peter Darby Robbie O Malley Mark O Reilly. Lavin is carrying on that tradition.

Very few have seen Conor McGill on national stage for Meaths only games on national tv have been bad loses to Dublin in 2014 and 2015 and Westmeath in 2015. So most GAA supporters wouldnt know that Donal keoghan is a top class defender who walk onto Meath teams of 80s and 90s and any team in the country. And GAA supporters wouldnt know Conor McGill is one best and most consistent full backs in the country. He is no Darren Fay. But then no one is. But there is a serious lack of good full backs in the country. McGill is a quality inter county full back.

Ronan Ryan is a young defender from Summerhill who has been brilliant since start of the season..A real tigerish corner back. He played wing back v Cork very well. If he does play wing back. Shane Gallagher will play corner back. Gallagher was excellent v Cork and Tyrone last year. He has been best man marker in Meath club football for last 3 to 4 years.

This means that with lavin McGill Gallagher or lavin McGill Ryan full back line , this means for me we have best full back line we have had in years..So the battle between the kildare full forward line and Meath full back line will decide this match. Of course if Kildare dominate midfield and quality ball keeps coming into quality forwards like Hyland McCormack N Flynn, it doesnt matter how good ur full back line is u r in big trouble.

So midfield will really decide this game. I see Kevin Feehily was brillant v Clare. Kildare won. Feehily is kildares main man. In both games in 2017 he was outstanding. This wud be a concern for Sunday. Feehily is one best midfielders in the country..For me he is the most talented kildare midfielder since Niall Buckley. Buckley always played well v Meath. Feehily always plays well v Meath. Meath have lost quality midfielders like Conor Gillespie Conor Nash Shane O Rourke Harry Rooney and Ronan Jones in last few years. This has meant we have had two wing backs at midfield all this league campaign. It has worked for Menton is playing really well and Shane McEntee has been excellent in every game.

Together they give Meath a hardworking Atletic mobile modern midfield. And in all games they have won midfield battle. Tyrone in mid 00s with Cavangh and Hughes showed u can be sucessful with a mobile midfield with kickout strategy and breaking ball strategy. Dublin in this decade with Macauley and Bastick and Cluxton showed u cud be sucessful with mobile midfield and kickout strategy. Meath usually have had two big guys at centre field. This year its more mobile hard working midfield who has a kickout strategy tackling strategy and breaking ball strategy. All areas Meath have improved since 2017. But someone like Flanagan might be needed to come from the bench to couteract Feehily. Flanagan wud be a more traditional midfielder. Thats my worry how will Menton and S McEntee do v top class traditional midfielder. Midfield always decides games. It will be no different on Sunday.

But if S McEntee doesnt start and Flanagan is not playing well our options are very thin. The only other player to play midfield wud be Ethan Devine who is more half forward and have never played a second for Meath at midfield. If Menton and S McEntee were to play and play real well. There is issues here. But It wud be a real good sign that these two players can be effective as a midfield partnership at consistent standard at inter county level. They have been good so far. But Sunday will be true test of how good they are as they come up against the best midfielder in the division.

It should be a good game. And possibly the game of the weekend. Whoever wins will have bragging right in leinster best rivalry but more importantly whoever wins has a great chance of promotion. For the sake of leinster football if both counties were promoted this wud be a good thing. U have to go back 15 years or for when u had 3 leinster teams in division 1.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 02/03/2019 06:57:18    2169326

A few stats on Sundays game

1 Meath will have 10 changes to the first 15 on Sunday to that Meath team that played Kildare in 2017. The Meath Players who played v kildare in 2017 who are not on even on the Meath panel this year are Brian Sheridan Willie Carry Paddy O Rourke Cian O Brien Ronan Jones Brian Power Alan Forde Jack Hannigan Ruari Coilean James Toher Donnacha Toibin Alan Douglas Eamon Wallace Conor Downey Brian Conlon David McQuillan. All those players played for Meath v kildare in 2017. None of them are on the Meath panel this year.

2 Even there is changes to Meath team since last year. 7 of the players who started v Cork last week did not play any part of the championship game for Meath v Tyrone last year.


Overall Meath are still not finished article. And yes kildare are ahead of Meath..But we not talking about top div 1/ top 3 or 4 team playing a div 4 team.. Kildare and Meath are at the same level. But are top div 2 team fighting for promotion. Kildare are ahead after winning promotion and reaching super 8. Kildare are somewhere between 8 to 10 in country ranking. Just outside top 8. Meath are somwhere from 10 to 12 13 or 14. Again trying like kildare to break into top 8. Both have problems beating Ulster teams. kildare were knocked out of championship 8 times in last 15 years by Ulster teams Meath were knocked out of the championship 7 times in last 15 years by Ulster teams. But have bad loses eg Carlow and longford last year. Both have had bad defeats to Dublin. Both have played well v division 1 team in last two year. Kildare v Mayo Tyrone Monaghan and Galway. Meath v Tyrone Galway Donegal and Roscommon. Both are young teams with good talent coming thru. Kildare are ahead of Meath. But not by a massive gap.

The fact is if the game is close on Sunday and kildare win by point or 2 it is a sign Meath has improved.
The same if Meath win on Sunday is a sign Meath have really improved . Both counties are going in right direction. Ideally for both counties promotion to div 1 would be a great boost for both counties and for leinster football in general.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 02/03/2019 06:59:56    2169327

Surely Kane has to start. Didn't play well against Armagh but he was very impressive leading up to that.

Barney123 (Meath) - Posts: 676 - 02/03/2019 08:59:42    2169336

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 02/03/2019 10:02:41    2169346

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 02/03/2019 10:05:38    2169348

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 841 - 02/03/2019 10:15:48    2169352

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1192 - 02/03/2019 10:56:47    2169365

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 02/03/2019 12:00:57    2169373