Meath v Wicklow are usually 4 or 5 point wins for Meath. Wicklow are always dogged opposition for Meath. Today was all about gap between div 1 and div 4. The last time Meath hammered Wicklow was in 99 and 95 Meath were in div 1. Div 1 has brought Meath on. Meath look physically bigger then I have seen in ten years. Meath are improving every 6 months under McEntee. They are still work in progress.
If the semi final is kildare that is a 50 50 game. Meath and kildare there is very little between them. Meath are a little bit ahead of development in terms of being div 1. But kildare always up their game Meath. This could be the game of the championship. But kildare have to beat Offaly. And that will be tricky. John Maughan has a great record of getting underdogs to deliver big performances. He was manager of the greatest shock in gaa history when Clare beat kerry in 92. And also over Mayo when they were underdogs v Meath in both games in 96 Mayo played well. Also last year Offaly were unlucky not to beat Meath. Offaly have a chance tonight. But you would be expecting Meath v kildare semi final. And I think if it is it it will come down to if Meaths defence can keep kildare natural young forwards quite.
Meath are strong defensively. Dublin forwards told Bernard Flynn and national journalist that best toughest defenders they have faced in last few years were Meaths defenders. Might seem strange with Dublins hammering but Meath kept Dublin to lowest first half score in championship since Donegal semi final in 2011. For 55 mins keoghan McGill lavin Harnan Gallagher were excellent defensively. The reason Meath got promoted and to super 8s was because of their defence. Meath have one great defender eg keoghan and other good natural defenders eg McGill McEntee Harnan Lavin Ryan Hickey.
Meath while relegated where very competitive in that Mayo Galway and kerry struggled to beat Meath. Mayo beat Meath by 1 point, with a goal in 70th min won the game. Galway beat by 2, 2 points scored in injury time. Marc O Se said Meath should have beaten kerry and lost by three. Meath game v Dublin was the closest any leinster team has got to Dublin in league or championship in 8 years. Meath drew with Monaghan in Clones. Meath are not beating top teams. But they have gone from going 60 mins with top teams last July in Super 8s. To going full 70 mins and losing in injury time to top teams this year. Meath had youngest team in div 1 in last two ganes with ten Meath players playing v Dublin and Monaghan ten players who were aged 21 and under.
Meath have improved since the spring they have added to a good defence
1 Meath had ten to 12 first teams players injured in everyone of their first 5 games in the spring. This meant Andy McEntee had to play panel players. Many of these players played well. And when all the injured players came back meant for the first time ever Meath have a strong bench. In super 8 last year Mayo Kerry and Donegal bench made bigger impact then Meaths. The same in the spring kerry Galway Mayos bench made a bigger impact then Meaths. Last 3 games Meath bench has made a bigger impqat then opposition.
V Dubs Meath bench scored 0-4 Dubs bench scored 0-0 V Monaghan Meath bench scored 0-9 Monaghan bench scored 0-1 V Wicklow Meath bench scored 2- 2 Wicklow bench 0-0
Meath now have a bench that can make an impact
2 Another improvement since spring is midfield. For first time since 2012 2013 Meath have a midfield partnership that looks strong . Meath lost a generation of midfielders for different reasons eg Conor Gillespie, Shane O Rourke, Conor Nash, Harry Rooney. Ronan Jones is best midfielder in Meath. He was in America for last 3 years. In the spring he travelled back and forth from America every week for every game and he hadnt trained for Meath for 3 years and played gaa for 3 years. He was very rusty. He is now permantly in Ireland and was excellent in Meath club chanpionship. First time he played gaa regularly in 3 years. He was outstanding v Monaghan and again today was class. At 24 Jones with Menton who is one best scoring midfielders in the county ( scored 1 - 1 today, and was top scoring midfielder in the country in last years championship). With Menton and Jones Meath have strong ball carrying athletic midfield.
So midfield a problem area for Meath since 2013 Brian Menton has had 10 different midfield partners in 3 years. Now with Jones Meath have a proper midfield partnership
3 Meaths other area of inprovement is the forwards since the spring. We saw problems Meath had upfront in last years leinster final. This problem contd in spring but with young talented forwards Shane Walsh 19 Mattthew Costello 19 and Jordan Morris 19, These are 3 new forwards that did not play last year or much in the spring. Morris wasnt on match day panel in Spring.
2019 Meath scored 0-14 v Donegal 2019 Meath scored 1-9 v Kidare 2019 Meath scored 0-4 v Dublin 2019 Meath scored 1- 13 v Donegal 2019 Meath scored 0-14 v Mayo 2019 Meath scored 2- 13 v kerry 2020 Meath scored 1- 9 v Tyrone 2020 Meath scored 0-7 v Donegal 2020 Meath scored 2-5 v Mayo 2020 Meath scored 1- 12 v Galway 2020 Meath scored 2- 13 v Kerry Since we came back 2020 Meath scored 0-19 v Dublin 2020 Meath scored 1- 17 v Monaghan 2020 Meath scored 7- 14 v Wicklow
Jordan Morris scored 2 v Dubs as sub, scored 0-7 v Monaghan as sub and scored 3-4 v Wicklow today Shane Walsh scored 4 points v Dubs, scored 1 point v Monaghan and scored 0- 4 v Wicklow and scored 6 points v kerry in his debut at 18 last in super 8s g kerry were was Meaths best player.
The emergence of Morris Walsh and Costello who scored goal of the game today means Meath have inside finisher in Morris and a target man in Walsh. Its years since Meath had threatening duo upfront.
They are young very young both 19 but they have huge potential both have been on underage teams who have beaten Dublin regularly. Shane Walsh on underage teams who defeated Dublin twice at underage Jordan Morris on Meath eams who defeated Dublin 3 times at underage. Meath have not made breakthrough at under 20. But that should come in the future. But at minor ten years agp at the start of the last decade Dublin were hammering Meath at minor. Dublin players were bigger and better ten or 6 years ago. Now at minor Meath are beating Dublin year and in many cases hammering Dublin at minor. Meath footballer look in many cases bigger and better at Dublin at underage minor. Meath hammered Dublin ar minor by 11 point in leinster minor a month ago. Some said that was third victory Meath had over Dublin at minor in four years. Its a better record in that if u included Meath hammerings of Dublin by 10 points at minor in 2016 and Meaths beat Dublin twice in the inaugural minor under 17 championship in 2018 this all means Meath have beaten Dublin 6 times in 6 years at minor level in leinster. This is unprecendented.. Dublins organisation finance and professionalism at under 20 kicks in. But with huge work done at underage I think you will see a breakthrough at under 20 for Meath soon.
But these young playerw Morris Walsh Costello have won leinster underage titles and beaten Dublin regularly at underage. This means Meath 10 young players who are 21 or under 21 who played in last two league game or able to make an immediate impact at senior and have confidence I havent seen from Meath young players in years. . Meath forward line is much stronger then the one which misfired v Dubs last year or the one which only scored averqge 13 or 14 in the league in the spring. Meath are now scoring 19 to 20 and today 7 goals.
Meath are far from.finished if it is kildare in next game that is a derby a 50 50 game. This is the best set natural forwards I have ever seen play for kildare. Kildare always play like possesed men v Meath. If its Offaly, Offaly wouldnt fear Meath. But whatever happens this year I think in next 2 years Meath development will be worth watching. Meath have one of the youngest teams in the country and are improving every few months and there is no reason why 19 or 20 or 21 years old wouldnt improve in next year and in 2021. The league next year is pivotal Meath have to get back into div 1. Meath are not finished article there are issues with goalkeeper with 9 goalies under McEntee and our still developing and are still far from finished article. There is still mistakes and cannot beat top teams. But I defintely think in next 24 months Meaths developmet will be intereting to see can they break into top 6. Meaths aim is not to win Sam. The aim is to reach Monaghans level be top 6 7 team stay in div 1 reach super 8s yearly and close the gap with Dublin. Thats Meath aim. And kildare Cork Armagh Down are also trying to break into top 6 or 7. I think.Meath have one big advantage over Armagh ot kildare. Armagh have some exciting young forwards but are very poor at the back. Kildare also have excitibg young forwards. But also have issues at the back. Meath for years were shakey at the back.But Meath since 2018 have improved at the back. Upfront and midfield was problem last year. But with Jones at midfield and emergence of young forward talent like Morris 19 , Walsh 19, Costello 19 and Conlon 21 means Meath have improved and are improving.
Its Meath v Kildare. The best derby in leinster. Its a 50 50 game. Very little between the teams. Meath are little bit ahead in terms of development with div 1 football. Meath have really bulked up in the lockdown all over the field. Have unearthed Jordan Morris who scored 7 points v Monagham as a sub and 3 - 4 today v Wicklow in his first start. He comes part of Meath that produced Ollie Murphy Brian Stafford Michael Newman Brian Farrell, naturall finishers from the small villages in the north of the county. He does remind me of Ollie Murphy. But he is still very young. Shane Walsh looks the real deal, a huge talent at full forward and he went to school in kildare so we know all about Meath and kildare rivaley how much the kildare lads hate Meath. Kildare nearly always up the game when they play Meath, play like men possesed. So I expect huge game from kildare. As I said this is 50 50 game. Very hard to call a winner. A proper derby and both teams have a great chance. Kildare have seen to have unearthed new quality forward in kirwan who is big and strong and two footed. The very skilful Jimmy Hyland is startinmg to make an impact at senior with McCormack and two Flynns its best set of natural forwards I have ever seen play for kildare. Usually kildare are strong at the back and are weaker up front. This teams weakness seems to be more at the back. But again I expect kildare to throw kitchen sink at Meath. Feehily v Jones will be very important. Feehily is one of the best midfielders in the country and in 2017 dominated midfield v Menton and Jones. Jones went to the US for 3 years and is a different footballer now. He looks like he turning into quality inter county midfielder he still only 24 with exception of Jack O Shea Brian Fenton and Sean Cavangh I find midfielders start to peak at mid 20s 25 26 27.
. But I think the game will come down to Meaths defence v kildares forwards. In the first half last year in the league. Kildare forwards were getting better of Meath backs. Half time kildare were ahead. But in second half Meath backs got the better of Kildare forwards Meath won by 1. The battle between keoghan McGill lavin Ryan McEntee Toner V Kirwan McCormack Hyland Flynn Conway will probaly decide the game. Feehily v Jones will also be important. And kildare gave Offaly few goal chances and Meath do have a poacher in Morris who scored 3 goals today could have had 3 goals v Monagan and had goal chance v Dublin. But I think Shane Walsh who was quite today with 4 points I think he huge talent. And I think he could have a big role next weekend.
Anyway this could be classic could be extra time maybe even penalties. A real proper first time Knockout leinster championship Meath v kildare game like we had in 1997 1998. In 2011 Meath played kildare in qualifier was also great game. I think this could be the game of the weekend.