Hopefully we get a good support on Sunday. Way too long since we played a Div One game in P/T. Both teams enter game with seious injury problems so its a case of making the best of who we have. Our problems have been well highlighted after last game, however I think if we can get a win it will give our brittle confidence a big lift. There will be a chance to revisit our win on Sunday evening,TG4 will show deferred coverage at 5.15hrs.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2136 - 29/01/2020 22:58:04    2263652

Need to man mark Murphy. Most important thing. Have someone stuck to him like glue. If he drops into midfield, a meath man is behind him. If he drops into the fullback line, a meath man is following him. If he calls in for a pint in Piano Bar, a meath man follows him.

LoyalRoyal66 (Meath) - Posts: 78 - 30/01/2020 09:58:02    2263697

Talking_Sense (Meath) - Posts: 209 - 30/01/2020 11:30:29    2263719

Donegal are weaker defensively than Tyrone and Michael Murphy is carrying them on his back. McBrearty is only back this week so hopefully wont start on Sunday and McHugh picked up a head injury at the end of the Mayo game so may be a doubt. They are also down Oisin Gallen from last year. I would hope our forwards can get more scoring chances and actually take them on Sunday as Donegal don't have massive men at the back like Tyrone so the likes of Keogan and McEntee can bomb forward and break the line more than last week. This is a very winnable game for Meath and we need to do everything in our power to win it and set us up for another home game against Mayo who are not a team to be frightened of any more.

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 932 - 30/01/2020 13:05:20    2263749

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1643 - 30/01/2020 14:54:29    2263782

Sure I'll have a stab at an ould team

1 A McDermott/ A Beakey
2 R Clarke
3 C McGill
4 D Toner
5 J McEntee
6 Ronan Ryan
7 D Keogan
8 B Menton
9 B Conlon
10 M Costello
11 B McMahon
12 E Wallace
13 C O'Sullivan
14 T O'Reilly
15 J Wallace

Subs:
16 A McDermott/ A Beakey
17 B Dardis
18 B Brennan
19 R Jones
20 J O'Connor
21 S Tobin
22 Ross Ryan
23 N Kane
24 G McCoy
25 O O'Brien
26 E Lynch

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 30/01/2020 15:49:07    2263810

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 932 - 30/01/2020 16:54:37    2263819

Team looks spot on Brian. Hard to know who will be in goals.

Cannot see a win for Meath. I reckon there will be 4-6 points in it.

Murphy will dominate midfield, full forward and most of all dominate the referee.

I am looking forward to the return of Division 1 to Pairc Tailteann

Royalio11 (Meath) - Posts: 757 - 30/01/2020 18:54:01    2263843

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2136 - 30/01/2020 19:08:44    2263845

LoyalRoyal (None) - Posts: 452 - 30/01/2020 21:35:10    2263884

This is now a must win for us, all our home games are, our chances of survival in division one will plummet if we don't pick up 2 points here......so no pressure then.

Our last 4 meetings with Donegal have all been close (albeit they pulled away in the last 10mins in the Super 8s last year), the difference is they just had that bit more quality than us and also I believe their mental strength is that bit better as well. Donegal may not be at their absolute peak at the minute but they know how to win, they can grind out a result and this is what has been largely missing from Meath football over the last 20 years (hard to believe it's been that long).

That all said I believe we can get a result on Sunday, the Tyrone game is gone, we can only look forward now and even if we have been hit with injuries to key players we have to believe that a result at home against Donegal is achievable.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 30/01/2020 22:34:01    2263895

Where have Marcus Brennan and Shane Gallagher gone to since last year?

urizen (Meath) - Posts: 115 - 30/01/2020 22:46:54    2263897

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 30/01/2020 23:15:27    2263906

Its hard to know how we are going to get on Sunday, but I agree we need to win this one to have a realistic chance of staying up. Wining our home games it near enough a must. Now that we got nothing out of our last game. I dont fancy getting a result away to Dublin and Kerry and I think an away win against Monaghan will tough also giving our terrible track record up the north.

I know both Tyrone and now Donegal both have allot have injuries down players etc.. And people are saying as we are down players also so its like or like. I dont believe it is like or like. Tyrone are operating in Div 1 for the best part of 10 years. And got to a All-Ireland final in 2018 and narrowly missing out on final spot last year. So they have a but more seasoned squad that us. Similar story with Donegal albeit not featuring as strong as Tyrone in the championship recent years, But they have massive amount div 1 experience. Where as we have really no experience at Div 1 so we need close to full squad to tackle this top teams we dont have we massively up against it, with all these injuries. So we going to have to have patience especially with this injure crisis I guess you could call it at this stage.

With about 10 minutes against Tyrone to go we could have crumbled altogether and lost by 10 or more I think we fought back well and got a few scores to make the score more respectable. We will need this spirit and more to win on Sunday.
Donegal like Tyrone know how to close out game and control games. So we need to get off to good start and do not hand control of the game to Donegal. And whatever happens dont let get more than 2 to 3 points ahead at any stage. And with a bit of luck with home crowd we might sneak it.

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1263 - 31/01/2020 11:10:39    2263942

ISupposeSoSheehan (Meath) - Posts: 86 - 31/01/2020 11:24:49    2263945

It's important that we man mark Murphy where ever he goes on the field. Full back line, on the 40, midfield, a green shirt should be stuck to him like glue.
Secondly we need to believe we can win. Home patch, shake the opposition before throw in, and go to war. Win the breaking ball. Move the ball fast. Don't carry it into tackle

LoyalRoyal66 (Meath) - Posts: 78 - 31/01/2020 11:44:52    2263950

First off huge thanks to Allan from hs for helping me out. Much appreciated.
As was said this game and the next have become must wins, I think on our travels we are facing two loses and a final day showdown in clones. If we have at least 4 (preferably 6) points by then. Then we have a serious shot at staying up. A Must win against a donegal team that has had our measure over past few years is a tough task, add in our injuries which is beginning to read like a hospital admission list and the situation looks bleaker. That all been said my faith in the team will not demise, the royal to prevail by 2.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 31/01/2020 12:27:39    2263963

I think one of the major issue surrounding the goalkeeping issue is what has happened in the past few years. We have seen instances where the goalkeepers who have been mentioned has been been overlooked or discarded in place of people who have not played in the position or have ever played there.

Burlingham is in the panel only to be replaced by Sheridan.
Hogan has been called up ahead of the like of Beaky or McDermott or Flynn, why would these lads then jump at the opportunity when they were not deemed good enough to start with. Hogan has not even played with Longwood as far as Im aware. Mentions if him being 19 here, why was he not playing with the U20s in any of the games, he was not involved in all the match day squad of the O Byrne Cup. I find it very hard to understand how someone who has not played an adult championship, can all of a sudden be deemed county material by MeEntee. Fair enough he played for Dundalk, but that does not mean that he is a good Gaelic Keeper.

juicy (Meath) - Posts: 399 - 31/01/2020 12:42:52    2263968

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 932 - 31/01/2020 12:54:51    2263971

1 D Yorke
2 Ronan Ryan
3 C McGill
4 D Toner
5 B Conlon
6 D Keoghan
7 N Kane
8 B Menton
9 R Jones
10 M Costello
11 C O Sullivan
12 J O Connor
13 B McMahon
14 T O'Reilly
15 J Wallace

I'd give Yorke another chance, if we were to drop players for having bad half, most of this team wouldn't be playing right now.

We were very loose in the backs against Tyrone. Ronan Ryan, Toner and Clarke all need to get tighter, at one stage McGill and Keoghan were trying to cover 5 lads. We need our wing backs to be better under breaking ball. I would move Conlon to the half back line as it gives us an extra option on kickouts. Down side of him at wing back is he is very loose.

Up front, I would start O Connor purely for frees, he was the top scorer in last years club championship.
Our movement in the full forward line was pretty good last Sunday but options of runners from the half forward line was just not there. One thing I noticed missing from the 6 forwards is a lack of size, we were easily pushed off or beaten to 50/50 balls on Sunday

UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 354 - 31/01/2020 13:10:01    2263976