Meath V Dublin Leinster SF Final Croke Park - Mod Warning Post #308 #386

iDave

Forgone conclusion or upset of the championship?

No fresh injury concerns for Meath after the Kildare drubbing. Reilly is ok and Newman to make a return.
Of the last 3 fixtures Dublin have won the last 2, both being Leinster finals while Meath won the 2010 SF. Instead of being a springboard for Meath it led to a controversial Leinster win over Louth followed by 2 managerial changes, yo-yoing between divisions in the league no AI QF since 2010.
Dublin on the other hand went on to win Leinster in 2011, 12 and 13. The All Ireland in 2011 and 13 and the NFL in 2013 and 14.
Despite that for most this is the ideal Leinster final pairing. Despite Dublin dominance in recent times and Meaths obscurity Meath are the only county to attempt any challenge to this dominance with that win and 2010 and a draw in 07. Dublins only non-wins since 05.
Overall cannot wait for Sunday. Odds clearly stacked in Dublins favour but few gave our young team a hope against Kildare last time out so fingers crossed this is the next step in our development.

Fr Tod Umptious

A lot of it depends on how Meath set up.

I have not seen much of them over the past few years so I don’t know what they are like.

Are they a ‘defensive’ team or do they want to go out and play open football.

As we have noticed Dublin are a bit slow to start in many games this season.
Whether this is intentional (we will take it easy and blitz them later) or whether it’s due to some lack of intensity/drive/etc it’s hard to tell.

The problem that they may face between now and a possible All Ireland final appearance is that they slow start, but because the opposition are stronger defensively they cannot break then down and end up losing.

The first test of their ability to start slowly and then ‘flick the switch’ could very well be tested by Meath, and if it’s not tested by Meath is will certainly be tested by Donegal or Monaghan later in the year.

iDave

I'd never usually describe Meath as a defensive team, if anything MOD has trying to mould them as a team of pacey attackers but we were very good at crowding out the Kildare forwards when the game was still a contest.
Its unlikely we will go man for man. I think that would be suicide.

corny

Can't really see anything but a Dublin win. Thought their intensity was just fine from the beginning against Wexford, poor execution letting them down. I'd expect them to remedy that and win with a bit to spare.

Hopefully i'm wrong and we see a good contest like last year.

rpurfield

I don't know if we have the fitness for 70 minutes of the required intensity to beat the Dubs. Theyre just a bit further down the track in terms of experience and I think that might just tell. However if we are in a point or two or even the same ahead with ten minutes to go, its not a regular occurence for the Dubs to be in that sort of a situation so it could be interesting to see.

On another note am I alone in hoping it pisses rain on Sunday for the match? It might prove irelevant really but I don't remember this Dublin team having to come out and play there brand of football on a filthy wet day during the summer

Oasis_Dublin

In the game against Kildare, Meath looked quite average once Kildare started running at them in the second-half. If Kildare had any forwards (that day) they would have beaten Meath. You'd expect the usual second-half step up from Dublin. Bringing these two points together, Dublin should win by 6.

Having said that, it's a derby match, and anything can happen. Dublin could have another bad day like they did in 2010, and then who knows?

Moneymaker

It's Meath, they are always dangerous and they have 3-4 quality forwards.

I think we'll win, but it'll be a close game.

Lemlin

If for nothing but the good of the game, I'd love to see a Meath win. It's dreadful to think that football could resort to the way hurling was in the noughties with one team ruling the roost.

I honestly think Meath will give a good account of themselves. This team is far better than that of the last two years IMO. If anything, O'Dowd has seen that the bench let Meath down last year and has worked on strength in depth.

For me, Meath should hit Dublin early and try to get up a good lead and then revert to a blanket defence and make themselves hard to get at in the latter stages.

DARK-KNIGHT

iDave wrote: »

Forgone conclusion or upset of the championship?

No fresh injury concerns for Meath after the Kildare drubbing. Reilly is ok and Newman to make a return.
Of the last 3 fixtures Dublin have won the last 2, both being Leinster finals while Meath won the 2010 SF. Instead of being a springboard for Meath it led to a controversial Leinster win over Louth followed by 2 managerial changes, yo-yoing between divisions in the league no AI QF since 2010.
Dublin on the other hand went on to win Leinster in 2011, 12 and 13. The All Ireland in 2011 and 13 and the NFL in 2013 and 14.
Despite that for most this is the ideal Leinster final pairing. Despite Dublin dominance in recent times and Meaths obscurity Meath are the only county to attempt any challenge to this dominance with that win and 2010 and a draw in 07. Dublins only non-wins since 05.
Overall cannot wait for Sunday. Odds clearly stacked in Dublins favour but few gave our young team a hope against Kildare last time out so fingers crossed this is the next step in our development.

you beat kildare by a few scores it was no drubbing.
Dublin by 8 to 10 points

Meath are like all teams in leinster average including kildare in that btw

iDave

rpurfield wrote: »

On another note am I alone in hoping it pisses rain on Sunday for the match? It might prove irelevant really but I don't remember this Dublin team having to come out and play there brand of football on a filthy wet day during the summer

I remember rain being blamed for Dublins poor performance against Wexford in 2010

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

you beat kildare by a few scores it was no drubbing.
Dublin by 8 to 10 points

Less of the bitterness

Lemlin

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

you beat kildare by a few scores it was no drubbing.
Dublin by 8 to 10 points

Meath are like all teams in leinster average including kildare in that btw

Five points to be exact but Meath were 2-13 to 0-8 points up when the game started to fizzle out. The last twenty minutes or so of the match were pretty much a non entity. Meath had the match won. It's hard for players, even at intercounty, to maintain the same intensity when you are that far ahead.

Kildare made the score look respectable on the scoreboard but that was all.

DARK-KNIGHT

iDave wrote: »

I remember rain being blamed for Dublins poor performance against Wexford in 2010



Less of the bitterness

no bitterness here

Boom__Boom

I can see Meath getting goals but I just can't see them getting enough of them.

The Dublin bench is such a weapon - scored 1-9 in their last championship game and 0-9 in the game before that, you're really looking for a lot of the Dublin players to have an off day - not just the starters but the subs as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if those kind of numbers were never before put up in back-to-back championship games.

I know it's 6 subs for the first time this year but even when it was 5 subs, I'd still be shocked to see figures like that especially in back to back games - you might get the odd supersub performance where someone coming on at half-time would bag 2-3 but that is just freaky stuff.

As an opposing manager you look at it and you wonder what sort of game plan can you try for?

DARK-KNIGHT

Lemlin wrote: »

Meath were 2-13 to 0-8 points up when the game started to fizzle out. The last twenty minutes or so of the game were pretty much a non entity. Meath had the match won. KIldare made the score look respectable on the scoreboard but that was all.

When kildare took game to meath they looked awful. They deserved win vs kildare on the day

iDave

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

When kildare took game to meath they looked awful. They deserved win vs kildare on the day

Why did they wait for Meath to have a 12 point head start before taking the game to them? Why not from the word go? Perhaps Meath were just better when it counted

Meath were comfortable winners in the same way Dublin were comfortable winners against Wexford.

DARK-KNIGHT

Dublin are by far the best team in ireland they deserve their success more luck to them.

Lemlin

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

When kildare took game to meath they looked awful. They deserved win vs kildare on the day

Meath didn't look too awful to me when Stephen Bray was knocking over points for fun and Meath were 2-13 to 0-8 up. They actually should have had another few goals too.

As I said above, Meath had the game won. They aren't going to maintain the same level of intensity. All they had to do was close the game out. The same happened Cavan the day before against Westmeath. We went 7 points up and then took our foot off the gas.

iDave

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

Dublin are by far the best team in ireland they deserve their success more luck to them.

True they are but not sure why someone from Kildare would wish them luck, surely its in your interest to see them get reigned in a bit.

CrabRevolution

While Meath did take their foot off the pedal alright, in the Kildare match a few players did look dead on their feet with 15/20 minutes left. They had the work done with a phenomenal effort by then, but we'll need a phenomenal effort just to keep up with Dublin.

Just slightly worried that if we get tired in the last 10 minutes again, it'll be at the same time that Dublin are hitting their best. They seem to score on an exponential curve, only ticking over at the beginning but once they get into a stride they just get more and more scores and never stop.

Hammer Archer

Think it'll follow a similar pattern to last years Leinster final. I think we'll stay with Dublin (and possibly be ahead at half time) for 50 minutes or so. But when you can bring on the likes of McCaffrey, Costello, O'Gara et al., very few, if any, teams would be able to stay with Dublin for the full 70 minutes.
I'd be more confident if we had the likes of Wallace, O'Sullivan, Dalton and Gillespie available but even then I'd expect us to come up short.

We will get goal chances, and if we are to win, we're going to have to take every one of them and not have a repeat of the first half against Kildare when we should have been 10-15 points up at half time. Our backs are going to have to stick to their defensive duties as well and not mosey forward which they've had a habit of doing recently. And all the outfield players will have to be alive as soon as the ball goes dead for Cluxton's kickouts. The only time I've seen Dublin under severe pressure has been when Cluxton hasn't had a man completely free to kick out to.

So I think we'll be competitive, but ultimately fall short once again. Honestly cannot see Dublin being beaten in Leinster at least for the forseeable future which will seriously dent attendances eventually.

The Showstopper

It's going to start getting very boring if Meath lose on Sunday as it will be three years in a row. For Meath this year we really need to be making a quarter final, given that we have lost the Leinster final and then lost in Round 4 of the qualifiers the last two years.

A lot of the same things are being said in the build up to the game on Sunday that were said in the build up to the last two games, such as that it's Meath/Dublin and form goes out the window but when was the last time that actually happened? People point to 2010 and how Meath were written off that day but previous to that game Dublin had beaten Wexford only after Wexford did their usual job of capitulating against Dublin while Meath had a really good win against Laois.

Then there is this other thing of saying Meath won't fear Dublin and will put it up to them which I'm so fed up with hearing. I really don't care so much if Meath put it right up to Dublin and get plaudits for a great performance and gain some sort of moral victory. Fair enough much of the compliments do be well deserved but I doubt it's of any consolation to the players. If I'm so fed up of seeing Meath lose to Dublin then I can't imagine how the players do feel about it.

Also this thing about Meath taking their foot off the pedal against Kildare because they had the game won I don't quite buy. Kildare were back within five points with about ten minutes to go and bar some terrible shooting and smacking the crossbar it could have been a very different story.

klairondavis

Leinster football could do with Meath causing an upset here. The spark has completely gone out of the provincial championship in the last ten years. The malaise it has fostered in many counties appears to have spread to underage level where Dublin have been utterly dominant.

I think Meath will be very competitive on Sunday. They are the one county in Leinster who raise their game against Dublin. Dublin's defense will not be as naive or as slow as Kildare's was on the day so Meath will need to improve again.

O'Dowd appears to be a shrewd operator and I expect he will have them well prepared for Dublin. If they can bottle up Dublin's main runners: McAuley, Flynn and McCarthy, then they are in with a great chance. They might be able to do that for long periods but I can't see them managing it for a full 70 minutes. Kildare did show Meath can be vulnerable to a hard running game in the second half the last day. Dublin only need fifteen to twenty minutes of dominance to rack up huge scores such is their firepower in the full forward line.

I would not be surprised to see Meath ahead at half time and the game to be tight entering the last fifteen minutes particularly if Bray, Newman and Reilly get a good supply of ball. Unfortunately Dublin will probably pull away in those closing stages. Any team that defeats Dublin will need a phenomenal level of fitness to keep the pressure on them for a full 70 minutes. Meath are just shy of that level at the moment.

corny

rpurfield wrote: »

I don't know if we have the fitness for 70 minutes of the required intensity to beat the Dubs. Theyre just a bit further down the track in terms of experience and I think that might just tell. However if we are in a point or two or even the same ahead with ten minutes to go, its not a regular occurence for the Dubs to be in that sort of a situation so it could be interesting to see.

On another note am I alone in hoping it pisses rain on Sunday for the match? It might prove irelevant really but I don't remember this Dublin team having to come out and play there brand of football on a filthy wet day during the summer

Thats not true. This Dublin team have a proven track record of winning when the chips are down and its happened a fair bit over the last 3 years. I can only think of Mayo in 2012 when they didn't win a game that was tight at the end.

If the game is tight they'd be strong favourites against any team in the country going into the last 10.

DARK-KNIGHT

Lads we could try picking bad points out about the dubs but no matter what is said the current dublin panel are a Juggernaut they are so far ahead in leinster its laughable. Imo we are witnessing the sports next team that will be talked about for years to come.

Nobody but kerry or mayo have a hope of derailing them

DARK-KNIGHT

iDave wrote: »

True they are but not sure why someone from Kildare would wish them luck, surely its in your interest to see them get reigned in a bit.

well my dad is a dub so i would wish them well sure why would any leinster man not want dublin to achieve we all dont have the us vs them attitude

rpurfield

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

Lads we could try picking bad points out about the dubs but no matter what is said the current dublin panel are a Juggernaut they are so far ahead in leinster its laughable. Imo we are witnessing the sports next team that will be talked about for years to come.

Nobody but kerry or mayo have a hope of derailing them

Sure with that attitude whats the point in running a championship then. Yes they are a good team but half the battle with them is the fact most teams are bet before they go out on the pitch with them. You could just sense it the last day that pretty much everyone in the ground knew it was a formality and they only had to turn up. Even the way some of the Wexford lads were just happy to get a few points beside their name.

Meath mightnt win on Sunday but if they go out with the attitude of being inferior to the Dubs I for one would be spitting feathers. Slightly different times and teams but theres been a good few times over the years where Meath werent expected to do sod all against them and ended up turning them over.

TheGoldenAges

iDave wrote: »

I remember rain being blamed for Dublins poor performance against Wexford in 2010

Dublin vs Tyrone 2011, the rain was torrential that day and it didn't hamper us.

Hibbeler

I honestly think that Meath could win on Sunday, we have momentum coming out of two comprehensive victories and I think have more strength in depth which was an issue last season.

We have been almost completely written off which is something I don't understand as the last two seasons we have been relatively close to Dublin when we've played them in the championship. Coming in as massive underdogs should suit us just as it did against Kildare when we were given little chance by the pundits but whatever way you look at it won comprehensively.

Also we have scored 9 goals in two championship matches leading up to this match which is an impressive tally no matter the opposition. Add to the fact that we could/should have had another 4+ goals against Kildare and you can see that Meath have the scoring threat to challenge but will need to take our chances against Dublin. In fact I feel that trying to score goals has been a tactic which Meath have been employing

We will also need to put together a full 70 minute performance which we haven't really seen from Meath yet. But I feel that the last 20 mins against Kildare when we allowed them to make the scoreline repectable should serve as a kick up the backside for us.

iDave

55k expected. Amazing how much the Dublin fan base has dropped off despite the success. I remember them filling CP in the Pillar years for Leinster QFs.

DoctaDee

iDave wrote: »

55k expected. Amazing how much the Dublin fan base has dropped off despite the success. I remember them filling CP in the Pillar years for Leinster QFs.

You're turning yer nose up at a 55k attendance ? ... how well do you think (numbers wise) Meath were supported in last years final and again in S/F v Kildare this year ?... smallest support I can remember for a long time

Dubliner28

Dubs by 8-10.

TheGoldenAges

iDave wrote: »

55k expected. Amazing how much the Dublin fan base has dropped off despite the success. I remember them filling CP in the Pillar years for Leinster QFs.

Also with the recent success of the hurlers it's also taken away fans who can only go to one of the games.

Oasis_Dublin

Also, realistically, some Dublin people are holding off paying large sums of money to go to matches at an early stage of the season. Dublin are All-Ireland favourites, and some fans are hedging their bets and waiting until the All-Ireland series begins before buying tickets.

Dublin have won eight of the last nine Leinster finals, and naturally, that takes some of the edge off things, and drives down the demand for tickets. Much as Leinster hurling final attendances dropped off during the middle years of the 2000s. We haven't seen a 40,000+ attendance since 2006.

Needless to say, I have my tickets bought for Sunday!

Lemlin

DoctaDee wrote: »

You're turning yer nose up at a 55k attendance ? ... how well do you think (numbers wise) Meath were supported in last years final and again in S/F v Kildare this year ?... smallest support I can remember for a long time

I remember being at the Meath vs Cork semi final in 2007 and noting the poor attendance. Croker seemed empty.

I just looked it up online and there was 37,000 at the match which, despite being half full, I find surprising for the amount of people I remember being there. It was like something out of the Walking Dead.

http://solorun.blogspot.ie/2007/08/cork-1-16-19-meath-0-9-9.html

iDave wrote: »

55k expected. Amazing how much the Dublin fan base has dropped off despite the success. I remember them filling CP in the Pillar years for Leinster QFs.

People haven't the money for it. It's €35 a ticket on Sunday which is quite steep. I'm on the Cavan Meath border and it'll cost me €5.20 in tolls, €25 in fuel (according to AA route planner) plus €10 for safe parking in the car park across from Quinns. That's €110.20 for two of us before we even feed ourselves or have a drink.

There are plenty of Dublin supporters down my way too. I see more Dublin jerseys in my local than Cavan/Meath ones but's for another thread entirely!

Godge

Lemlin wrote: »

Five points to be exact but Meath were 2-13 to 0-8 points up when the game started to fizzle out. The last twenty minutes or so of the match were pretty much a non entity. Meath had the match won. It's hard for players, even at intercounty, to maintain the same intensity when you are that far ahead.

Kildare made the score look respectable on the scoreboard but that was all.

It doesn't seem to be hard for Dublin to maintain the same intensity which is why they are the best team in the country.

If Meath were not able to maintain intensity against Kildare, they will be beaten by Dublin.

Lemlin

Godge wrote: »

It doesn't seem to be hard for Dublin to maintain the same intensity which is why they are the best team in the country.

If Meath were not able to maintain intensity against Kildare, they will be beaten by Dublin.

So Dublin maintain the exact same intensity throughout every game? Why have they performed alot better in the second half of their two games then?

DoctaDee

On the flipside of attendances I can still distinctly remember the 1st occasion when I just went Wow:eek: at the level of opposition support. As a young fella at the 1992 SF v Clare looking down from The Hill at the swathes of Clare flags down the length of the Hogan and all the way round the Canal until a bit of equality was restored in the Cusack. It was in some respects one of the most intimidating sights visually I've seen, and by the same token a little part of me was just "hats off to ya"

There's been a few times since - Kildare (possibly the 2000 replay), Armagh 2002 & Westmeath 2004

DoctaDee

Lemlin wrote: »

So Dublin maintain the exact same intensity throughout every game? Why have they performed alot better in the second half of their two games then?

I thought the 1st half intesity v Laois was poor, however with the exception of Connolly I don't think they could be faulted with their start v Wexford. Poor decisions cost them a large haul in the 1st 20 mins of that game. It could be argued I suppose that the poor options taken were a lack of game intensity, but I couldn't really fault them against Wexford

Hammer Archer

DoctaDee wrote: »

You're turning yer nose up at a 55k attendance ? ... how well do you think (numbers wise) Meath were supported in last years final and again in S/F v Kildare this year ?... smallest support I can remember for a long time

For a Leinster final involving Dublin, it ain't great. Think the 2010 final had just a shade under 50000 at it. As Hibbeler said, back in 2007 Croke Park was full for a Leinster quarter final between Dublin and Meath. I think Dublin's success means that there has been a significant amount of Dublin fans who don't bother going to games in Leinster due to the near formality of their games.
Meath's attendance has dropped over the last while as well (and massively so since our heyday in the 90s) but the same can be said for other teams (Kildare for example since 2010/2011). Again I think this is down to Dublin's dominance.

Moneymaker

I'm as committed a Dublin fan as you could find, but i'm getting increasingly bored with the Leinster Championship.

A Meath win would do wonders for the championship and really throw a curveball into the mix.

I can't remember the last time i've been excited for a Leinster championship game. For a Dublin v Meath game. One of the great rivalries and going to it on Sunday is going to feel like a complete chore.

Am I mad?

rpurfield

The drop off in attendances are partly due to Dublin been ahead of everyone in Leinster, the fact the money isnt in the country that there used to be and ticket prices. I seen someone had on Facebook today a ticket stub for the 2000 leinster final and it was dual priced in pounds and euro. The euro price was 16.50 pretty much half of what it is on Sunday

Godge

Lemlin wrote: »

So Dublin maintain the exact same intensity throughout every game? Why have they performed alot better in the second half of their two games then?

Why isn't it obvious to you?

If dublin maintain their intensity throughout the game and the other team starts with high intensity and falls off, then Dublin will have a much better performance in the second half of their games. You are negating your own argument.

Lemlin

Godge wrote: »

Why isn't it obvious to you?

If dublin maintain their intensity throughout the game and the other team starts with high intensity and falls off, then Dublin will have a much better performance in the second half of their games. You are negating your own argument.

I don't see how I am to be honest. My initial point was that it is difficult for teams to keep up the same intensity when they are 11 or 12 points ahead.

You then weighed in about Dublin maintaining the same intensity for 70 minutes. In my opinion they don't and that's why people are saying Meath's best chance is to hit them early because they are playing slowly in the first half of games.

Your opinion seems to be that other teams start off high intensity against Dublin and then drop off. That seems to be the same as Gavin, who I might add isn't going to admit they do start games slowly, but I wouldn't agree. Look at the league final even. Dublin were very poor first half compared to second.

The other factor is that Meath are on a totally different level to Laois or Wexford tbh.

Dublin's greatest strength is probably their bench. Last year once 55 minutes hit and both teams had to introduce subs, Meath were just blown away.

Nib

Hard to see anything other than a Dublin win. Meath will need goals and lots of them to have a chance IMO.

Hopefully it's a close game, nobody apart from Dublin fans want a one sided game.

Flynner1313

Agreed - anyone know a link to a live stream for a GAA fan abroad?

Nib

Martin Carney's on co-commentary. :rolleyes:

Always_Running

I hope its a good final have already seen one sided final in Munster and the connacht final was average at best.

Al_Coholic

Hopefully Meath can keep the game close as a contest for as long as possible,unfortunately i think Dublin will be 5 or 6 points ahead at the end.

Hibbeler

Meade out and McDonough in for meath. Graham Reilly to midfield

dundalkfc10

Hope both teams lose!

Nib

Scrappy start from both teams.

The Meath keeper looks dodgy.