Meath Forum

Meath V Laois

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Chronicle reporting that Harnan is out of game due to injury, major loss after impressing against Carlow.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 1432 - 08/06/2019 19:56:57    2191831

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Once again I find it hard to predict this one. Im confident that if we win midfield or achieve parity and our half-backs get into the game in attack we can and should have too much firepower and see it out by a few points. In saying that we have struggled in both of those areas as of late and teams can frustrate Meath and lower their efficacy and penetration as a side. Laois are a bogey team for Meath, no doubt about it. Their fitness and form in Div.3 league, and in general over the last few seasons will mean this will be competitive. The general attitude around the county has been one of focus on Laois. No one is getting too carried away and that is a good sign. I have seen some zealots on the forums getting carried away and I don't really see it atm... if it goes to plan we should win by a few scores but we could be very easily caught tomorrow by a legitimately good side, probably on par with us or close to it. A win puts us into a Leinster Final and a game vs. Dublin. If Meath defeat Laois thatll mean we'll have gotten promotion to Div.1 and a Leinster Final spot this season at least at senior level, with the possibility of a spot in the super 8s, which we might or might not have the overall quality to reach. I hate to be negative but I think we rate between 8-12 in the country but id love to be wrong. Compare that with every year since the mid to late noughties and we can be very proud of this season. Tomorrow is a big game. Up the Royals.

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 391 - 08/06/2019 21:12:14    2191883

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Having got promotion earlier in the year, the test for this team was then to see if progress could be maintained and reach a Leinster final.

I have seen worse Laois teams than this one beat Meath so whilst we cannot be over confident, I think we can do it.

I hear a lot about the threat of the Laois midfield and their full forwards etc but truth be told, we know about these dangers in advance and should have a plan in place to negate these. If we win, we will face bigger tests, but right now it feels like playing Laois is about the right test we need to see if we can begin to take the next steps necessary to continue our upward curve.

Looking forward to a good game, a good performance and hopeful of a victory.

ROYALOPTIMIST (Meath) - Posts: 178 - 09/06/2019 09:03:11    2192022

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Heading off soon as I hear there's a seagull looking at my seat in Croke Park, best wishes to Andy Bryan Donal and all the panel and backroom staff. You have given this old royal a very happy season so far. Let's keep it going.
Hon the royal

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 09/06/2019 11:04:06    2192077

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Best of luck to Andy Bryan Donal and the lads! Incredibly nervous about this one! Hon the Royal!

Evernal (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 09/06/2019 13:14:14    2192134

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Great result for Meath! Won it handily however not scoring for 15 min at start of second half is worrying.
Some great performances and I was sneered and laughed at on here for my unwavering praise of Adam Flanagan but my God what a performance! Absolutely immense yet again. Left everything on the pitch. Becoming undroppable. Croke Park really suits him.
Hopefully now we regroup and have a good go at Dublin presuming they win. Though if Kildare were better they'd be a lot closer.
On a side note have to say McQuillan the ref had a shocker today. Numerous yellow cards to Meath for nothing. Changing decisions etc didn't seem he had a grasp on the game from the get go.
Anyways looking forward to the customary Supermacs Snack Box with the little one.......will taste all the sweeter now! An Mhi Abu! HON THE ROYAL!

Evernal (Meath) - Posts: 43 - 09/06/2019 16:54:21    2192222

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Nothing more to add, great result. Great to be back.

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 391 - 09/06/2019 17:18:39    2192236

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Replying To Evernal:  "Great result for Meath! Won it handily however not scoring for 15 min at start of second half is worrying.
Some great performances and I was sneered and laughed at on here for my unwavering praise of Adam Flanagan but my God what a performance! Absolutely immense yet again. Left everything on the pitch. Becoming undroppable. Croke Park really suits him.
Hopefully now we regroup and have a good go at Dublin presuming they win. Though if Kildare were better they'd be a lot closer.
On a side note have to say McQuillan the ref had a shocker today. Numerous yellow cards to Meath for nothing. Changing decisions etc didn't seem he had a grasp on the game from the get go.
Anyways looking forward to the customary Supermacs Snack Box with the little one.......will taste all the sweeter now! An Mhi Abu! HON THE ROYAL!"
Pity you cant use emojis on here because on here because id be throwing out the fishing rod one to this post. No way anyone nibbles at your Adam Flanagan comments. All i can say is today certainly put the shane mac/adam Flanagan debate to bed anyway. Flanagan out of his depth and the team were drifting aimlessly until shane mac came on. I'd be looking at devine ahead Flanagan off the bench the next day. McCoy in trouble at this level also. Shane mac and hopefully harnan back in for the final. Really happy with how conlan performed along with mcmahon menton COS and as per usual Keoghan absolutely immense. Couple of really good saves from colgan as well. Plenty to work on but great to be back in a leinster final.

Aloblack (Meath) - Posts: 265 - 09/06/2019 17:56:45    2192254

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Replying To Evernal:  "Great result for Meath! Won it handily however not scoring for 15 min at start of second half is worrying.
Some great performances and I was sneered and laughed at on here for my unwavering praise of Adam Flanagan but my God what a performance! Absolutely immense yet again. Left everything on the pitch. Becoming undroppable. Croke Park really suits him.
Hopefully now we regroup and have a good go at Dublin presuming they win. Though if Kildare were better they'd be a lot closer.
On a side note have to say McQuillan the ref had a shocker today. Numerous yellow cards to Meath for nothing. Changing decisions etc didn't seem he had a grasp on the game from the get go.
Anyways looking forward to the customary Supermacs Snack Box with the little one.......will taste all the sweeter now! An Mhi Abu! HON THE ROYAL!"
It was a great win but where are you going with the Flanagan praise. He was grand. Did ok, didn't win any marks I can remember. Worked hard. But the team instantly improved when Shane McEntee went in and we began to score far more heavily

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 833 - 09/06/2019 18:22:04    2192270

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Great to be on a Leinster final but that was a poor performance and nowhere near what's required to even trouble Dublin .Game was played with the intensity of a challenge and still we made numerous very poor decisions in respect of passing and shot selection . Too easily disposed when we bring the ball onto tackle . Cillian O Sullivan for all his good work wasted too much hard won possession . Needs to be coached out of him . We struggle to win breaking ball and We only started to win some hard ball when Shane McEntee came on . Laois cut us open on a number of occasions . I await the back lash but I was there and that's how I seen it . The positives was McGill and Lavin in the full back line , Menton worked very hard and scored 2 crucial goals and Conlon up front was a breath of fresh air .

royalpad (Meath) - Posts: 46 - 09/06/2019 18:34:24    2192291

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Replying To Evernal:  "Great result for Meath! Won it handily however not scoring for 15 min at start of second half is worrying.
Some great performances and I was sneered and laughed at on here for my unwavering praise of Adam Flanagan but my God what a performance! Absolutely immense yet again. Left everything on the pitch. Becoming undroppable. Croke Park really suits him.
Hopefully now we regroup and have a good go at Dublin presuming they win. Though if Kildare were better they'd be a lot closer.
On a side note have to say McQuillan the ref had a shocker today. Numerous yellow cards to Meath for nothing. Changing decisions etc didn't seem he had a grasp on the game from the get go.
Anyways looking forward to the customary Supermacs Snack Box with the little one.......will taste all the sweeter now! An Mhi Abu! HON THE ROYAL!"
i am starting to question these customary Supermacs Snack Boxes....

WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 829 - 09/06/2019 18:51:20    2192298

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Replying To WhyTheLongFace:  "i am starting to question these customary Supermacs Snack Boxes...."
Ahh a snack box is essential after a match.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 09/06/2019 19:40:22    2192333

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Replying To royalpad:  "Great to be on a Leinster final but that was a poor performance and nowhere near what's required to even trouble Dublin .Game was played with the intensity of a challenge and still we made numerous very poor decisions in respect of passing and shot selection . Too easily disposed when we bring the ball onto tackle . Cillian O Sullivan for all his good work wasted too much hard won possession . Needs to be coached out of him . We struggle to win breaking ball and We only started to win some hard ball when Shane McEntee came on . Laois cut us open on a number of occasions . I await the back lash but I was there and that's how I seen it . The positives was McGill and Lavin in the full back line , Menton worked very hard and scored 2 crucial goals and Conlon up front was a breath of fresh air ."
Royalpad.

Agree fully. Was a poor performance but they dug in well and got the win.

Royalio11 (Meath) - Posts: 750 - 09/06/2019 20:01:34    2192348

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Replying To royalpad:  "Great to be on a Leinster final but that was a poor performance and nowhere near what's required to even trouble Dublin .Game was played with the intensity of a challenge and still we made numerous very poor decisions in respect of passing and shot selection . Too easily disposed when we bring the ball onto tackle . Cillian O Sullivan for all his good work wasted too much hard won possession . Needs to be coached out of him . We struggle to win breaking ball and We only started to win some hard ball when Shane McEntee came on . Laois cut us open on a number of occasions . I await the back lash but I was there and that's how I seen it . The positives was McGill and Lavin in the full back line , Menton worked very hard and scored 2 crucial goals and Conlon up front was a breath of fresh air ."
Semi finals are for winning. Winning a semi final by 11 points with work to do is a great way to go into a final. Of course we made mistakes, we are not the finished article. We are not one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the the country. We are not the finished article. Only the top 2 or 3 teams play to a top class level all the time. We are an upcoming team building for the future. The manager is in his third year and now is making an impact. Players like Keoghan Newman and Menton are at their peak. While McGill The McEntees Sullivan McMahon Harnan are starting to peak as footballers. While young Conlon T Reilly are new young exciting novices just making the breakthrough. As a team we are 12 to 24 months away from being a consistent top 8 team. But we are making serious progress and huge improvements. The improvements since Longford game last year have being seismic. We are the most improved team in the country in last 12 months going from 15th or 16th best team in the country to 8th or 9th best team in the country. There has been real impress progress.
( Also Remeber playing in a half empty Croke Park is a strange experience for all teams. I think it leads to flat games in flat atmosphere. )

Anyway progress report since Longford debacle last year

1 Victories over teams like kildare , Armagh , Fermanagh, Laois, Tipperary, Clare and Cork. Basically victories over every div 2 county in Ireland. Last year we couldnt beat div 2 teams now none of them can beat us. ( Donegal r not div 2 team they are top 6 team. So progress here.

2 Very impressive performances v two best teams in the country. Once v Tyrone and twice v Donegal Real progress made here.

3 First promotion to div 1 in 13 years.
4 First promotion to 8 team div 1 in 20 years
5 First leinster final appearance in 5 years
6 Fiirst victory in Croke Park in 5 years in league or championship.
7 First time we have won 3 championship matchs in a row in 9 years.
8 First time we have won 3 championship matchs in a row in leinster in 18 years. Since 2001 this is the first time we have won 3 matchs in a row in leinster championship. In 2010 we beat Offaly but drew with laois in next game.
9 First time to break into top ten teams in the country since 2010
10 For the first time in 5 years we are now definatly second best team in leinster.
11 Players like Byran McMahon James McEntee Shane McEntee Cillian Sullivan Michael Newman Conor McGill Donal keoghan are starting to come of age in the Meath jersey , really peak as footballers.
12 First young talent to make impact with senior panel since Forde Carroll Gillespie did in 2012. Conlon Ryan Kane Devine and Campion have all been exciting new additions to the panel and to the team.
13 We won leinster quater final by 15 points and leinster semi final by 11 points. We won leinster semi final and quater by aggregate of 26 points and average of 12 or 13 points. The last time we won leinster quater finals and leinster semi final by such massive margins was in 1996 and 1995 , 23 years ago. We defeated Carlow and laois by big margins in 1996. We defeated Carlow and laois by 18 points and 6 points respectively in 1996 , a total of 24 points. We have won both ganes by total of 26 points this year. We won our leinster quater final v Longford by 19 points and Wickloe by 13 points in 95 . Which is an aggregate of 29 points. So this year is best victories, highest scoring Meath has achieved together in leinster q final and sem final in nearly quater of a century, best in 24 years.
14 11 point win v laois in the leinster semi final today is our best victory in 24 years in leinster semi final . Its our biggest winning margin in a leinster semi final in 24 years , since 1995 leinster semi final v Longford.

So these leinster quater final and semi final performances where we didnt play brillianty ( imagine if we did how much we won ) , these are best leinster quater final.and semi finals together in 24 years for Meath. They are the biggest margin of victories Meath have achieved in leinster quater final and semi final in 24 years.

So in every way this year so far has been a huge sucess. We are talking our best year in 9 years and one of our best years since Sean Boylan left and one of our best years since 2001. Its in the top 4 best years since 2001 All Ireland final appearance, so far and the year has a good bit to go so far..

So we won a Leinster semi final by 11 points our best leinster semi final victory in 24 years against one of form teams in the country outside div 1. Its a perfect way to go to a final. Confidence win and with work to do. Ideal way to go to final. But I dont think people how good year it has been for Meath football. Its more like a year we had in the 90s , promotion to div 1 , comprehensive victories in leinster quarter final and semi final. We haven't done that since the 90s. The improvement since the Longford loss last year has been huge. If u said after longford loss that in 12 months Meath would be in divsion 1 and in a leinster final , that Meath would have beaten kildare Armagh Laois Fermanagh Carlow Clare Tippearey and not only beat them but beat them all comprehensivly and came very close to beating Donegal twice and Tyrone once. I think most people would have laughed you at u.

Imagine what we can do in the next 2 to 3 years with players peaking on mass eg The McEntees Sullivan McMahon Harnan etc , new talent progressing eg Conlon Ryan Kane Devine and Campion. And some exciting young forward talent on the horizon eg Shane Walsh Matthew Costello Aaron Lynch.

Things have improved and things are only going to get better.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 09/06/2019 20:11:47    2192358

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Replying To royaldunne:  "Ahh a snack box is essential after a match."
true...i do enjoy the shnack box myself

WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 829 - 09/06/2019 20:22:49    2192366

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Things could have been a lot different has laois got a goal when they hit the crossbar. The end score is a bit flattering to us. Didn't see much from Flanagan so don't really know where the other poster is coming from. We need a reliable free taker as we missed too many. We also dropped about 4 shots into the keepers hands which we cant afford against Dublin. Its great to be back in a leinster final but I haven't seen anything from this team to make me think anything less than 10+ point defeat is coming.

Foley91 (Meath) - Posts: 339 - 09/06/2019 20:35:40    2192375

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Replying To royalpad:  "Great to be on a Leinster final but that was a poor performance and nowhere near what's required to even trouble Dublin .Game was played with the intensity of a challenge and still we made numerous very poor decisions in respect of passing and shot selection . Too easily disposed when we bring the ball onto tackle . Cillian O Sullivan for all his good work wasted too much hard won possession . Needs to be coached out of him . We struggle to win breaking ball and We only started to win some hard ball when Shane McEntee came on . Laois cut us open on a number of occasions . I await the back lash but I was there and that's how I seen it . The positives was McGill and Lavin in the full back line , Menton worked very hard and scored 2 crucial goals and Conlon up front was a breath of fresh air ."
Agreed 100%o

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 841 - 09/06/2019 20:38:21    2192379

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Joe McQuillan was on a different level today. By far Laois' best player from the start to the finish.

He was everywhere today doing his best to disrupt Meath and was almost the difference between the teams.

Thankfully, playing against 16 man did not harm us. He was ridiculous

Royalio11 (Meath) - Posts: 750 - 09/06/2019 20:45:34    2192385

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Well done to Andy and the rest of the panel. There were 3 goals at the start of the year, promotion, Leinster final and a super 8. 3 of them are achieved. Even more credit to all the lads given that so many wouldn't commit. I looked back and counted 11 lads who were on the team at some point since 2016 not on the panel now. Massive credit to the players and management for overcoming this and giving us supporters plenty to be excited about all year

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 833 - 09/06/2019 20:52:37    2192392

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Meath have won 9 competitive games in the championship and league together this year. That is the most competitive ganes Meath have won in 1 season in 13 years. In 2007 we had ten competitive wins in that seasons league and championship. The 9 victories we have achieved so fsr this year and 10 victories we achieved in 2007 , these are most competitive victories Meath have had in one season since we won the All Ireland in 1999. Simply put along with 2007 this is one of our most consistent seasonsand most victories we have had in a season in 20 years. And the season is not over yet , reach the super 8 we could have 10 or 11 victories by the end of the season which would mean this year would be the most competitive wins Meath have had in a season since 1999 .

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 09/06/2019 20:54:48    2192396

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