I see Rte are showing the game on Sunday hopefully we don't embarrass ourselves like usual

Meathfor@life (Meath) - Posts: 70 - 12/04/2024 14:58:42    2537545

I think all known evidence points towards something like a 6-8 point win for the Dubs.
That being said, a look at their named team should not strike fear into players, management or supporters. I say "named team", because we all know it's unlikely that will be the actual team that starts.

If the Dublin team starts as named, and especially without Cluxton, then all bets are off. This Meath team is certainly capable of making a game of it. They may still come up agonisingly short, but will still be highly competitive with a Dublin team that are simply not in the same bracket as their great 2010's teams.

One area where Meath could have a slight upper hand is at midfield. (again this opinion is based on the absence of Cluxton and Fenton). If the Meath team can gain a foothold on their own kickouts and be disruptive on Dublin's, then maybe we can all dream of Joanne Cantwell introducing Sunday evening's Sunday Game with a montage of a famous, unexpected Meath victory in the rain.....

oceanofnoise (Meath) - Posts: 44 - 12/04/2024 20:55:19    2537577

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1470 - 12/04/2024 22:27:49    2537585

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1228 - 13/04/2024 14:32:16    2537641

Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 147 - 13/04/2024 14:32:52    2537642

Dublin vulnerable to high ball

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1792 - 13/04/2024 14:48:51    2537647

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 515 - 13/04/2024 18:25:35    2537687

Meathfor@life (Meath) - Posts: 70 - 13/04/2024 21:00:16    2537699

Beat of luck to the team and management today.
Hopefully we get stuck in from the very start and put Dublin under pressure with intensity in our tackles and don't stand off them. If we do that throughout and take our chances when they come hopefully we can make a game of it if our attitude is right. An Mhí Abú

royalfollower (Meath) - Posts: 77 - 14/04/2024 11:13:22    2537731

mmc (Meath) - Posts: 268 - 14/04/2024 15:00:39    2537754

PG as coach and an in county qualified, experienced, successful manager.

I'm absolutely sick of this.

Meath CB sort it.

Meathooooo (Meath) - Posts: 49 - 14/04/2024 18:07:41    2537778

Yiz couldn't live with the 2nd half squeeze on your own kick outs, Almost complete Dublin dominance, Meath did well 1st half, played well.

Jack O'Connor looks to be a good footballer for yiz

Kildare gave Dublin one hell of a scare in Leinster this time last year, Meath were miles away from that Kildare performance

Zero to take from this as a Dubs fan.

Unfortunately the rivalry is over, not sure how Meath can get back to challenging the top teams.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20608 - 14/04/2024 18:30:24    2537791

Half competitive in the first half. Probably would only have been a point or two down at half time without the dreadful refereeing decisions. But the same old story in the second half. Ponderous possession, open in defence and some basic mistakes resulting in being dispossessed easily.
Very sad to see how far this fixture has fallen. 17 years ago (christ I'm old), a Leinster quarter final sold out Croke Park. Only 25% of that today.

Ratoath Royal (Meath) - Posts: 1362 - 14/04/2024 18:50:15    2537797

It didn't need to be in Croke Park when there was going to be a poor crowd. Better off with a decent crowd in Tullamore.

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2763 - 14/04/2024 19:15:58    2537804

Have to agree with the sentiments so far. I was only talking to Sean Boylan a couple of weeks ago and he was as positive as ever.
I'd be sorry for the genuine Meath lads, including O'Rourke, I'm amazed he took this job.
Sad state of affairs folks, I take no pleasure from this whatsoever.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8603 - 14/04/2024 19:26:57    2537807

As disappointing as the final score was, there were crumbs of comfort. We competed well in the first half, had a good structure early on, and kickout strategy, won some great turnovers. A more experienced team would have turned all that into a half-time lead. Having said all that, even if we had made the most of the first half, Dublin still would have pulled away from us in the second half. It's depressing to watch, you think you're at least looking competitive and, as Eamon Fitzmaurice said on commentary, it's a death by 1000 cuts. Suddenly you're 12+ points down.
Still, our result against Dublin was never going to be the litmus test for this team this year. Two goals and many points came when the game was done and Meath got loose and started trying big swings to get back in the game.
We have 5, maybe 6 depending on the draw, weeks to prep for the AI series. I just hope we don't draw the Dubs. If we knuckle down and improve fitness (still not at required level), work on far better transitions (the number of nothing balls into the full forward line in the first half...), and learn lessons about changing tack mid-game (we didn't have a plan B once Dubs changed up at half-time) then there is plenty to take into the AI series.
Yes, we're not at Dublin's level. Nowhere close. But we could reach the end of the year and find no one is at their level. If Meath were second best team in the country and still miles off the Dubs, I'd worry about them. I'm more worried this year, and for a number of years to come I'd imagine, by the counties we should currently be competitive against.

MeathAbroad (Meath) - Posts: 38 - 14/04/2024 20:00:14    2537816

Meathooooo (Meath) - Posts: 49 - 14/04/2024 20:00:33    2537817

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 872 - 14/04/2024 20:08:16    2537819

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20608 - 14/04/2024 20:45:27    2537825

Thought there was a lot of positives to take, some good performances for a first 45/50 mins, but when Dublin pushed it we had no answer.

The scoreline is the absolute killer here, we got a little naive in the last 10 mins and Dublin hit about 2-4. You get out of there with a 7/8 point loss and that would represent some degree of progress. Something to work on.

Instead we turn the ball over through some bad decisions, poor kickouts, and general sloppiness and we end up losing by 16 points and physiologically it's crushing. Dublin are just ruthless, they don't take the foot off the gas.

There are some good players on that team and there's plenty to work towards, just hope that doesn't set them back too much.

hyperache (Meath) - Posts: 209 - 14/04/2024 20:49:00    2537829