ziggy take it easy there now, Ratoath may have a good team and Donaghmore may have blown up unexpectedly this year but I don't think ratoath would keep the ball kicked out to them.

Donaghmore have been one of the strongest teams in the county for a number of years now, Ratoath have yet to make the grade in their history.

Uncle_Fester (Meath) - Posts: 217 - 25/09/2015 10:18:56    1792200

Haven't been on much since game so would like to congratulate rathoath on their win. Unfortunately this was yet again not cilles year.
Best wishes in the final.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/09/2015 10:00:21    1792538

It's ratoaths to lose if they play to 85% they have it and will do grand at senior in 2016. Nobber have a chance but it depends on ratoath not firing on all cylinders

glenny (Meath) - Posts: 1108 - 27/09/2015 09:40:03    1792666

One thing I've learned from seeing Ratoath teams in county finals is that we rarely win it easily. Even in last year's U21 final when we were 9 up at half time and cruising the team let NOM back into the game in the second half. Ratoath being red hot favourites for this day week means nothing. Nobber have all the experience of being here before and that will be invaluable. They've also beaten Ratoath twice this season (albeit Ratoath were missing their county players in both games).

Talking about how Ratoath would do in next season's Keegan Cup is downright insulting to Nobber. Can see Dudley Farrell pinning some of the comments being made on their dressing room wall before the game.

Ratoath Royal (Meath) - Posts: 1362 - 27/09/2015 12:17:06    1792686

Say MOD will hope rataoth win easy as let's be honest with 5 senior county, 3 inter county juniors and an u 21 player if they can't account for an aged nobber team it won't say much for Meath football.

Adamski (Dublin) - Posts: 339 - 27/09/2015 21:06:21    1792829

Nobber will be waiting in the long grass waiting for us , They have a few years senior experience and are hardy hoors
They will relish the fact people are writing them off and in Brian Farrell have one of the top forwards for the last 10 years in Meath
Ratoath wont get away with the little lapses they have had in previous games , Nobber will punish them accordingly
As someone pointed out , Nobber have already beaten Ratoath this year . . twice
So make no mistake , It will be some battle and I hope we have outlast the lads from the North of the county

lagoreX (Meath) - Posts: 220 - 28/09/2015 13:59:54    1793106

Ratoath by a country mile

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1047 - 28/09/2015 20:11:32    1793304

CastleBravo
"I've no connection to either team but nearly hope Ratoath win just so people will stop with the stupid "half the county team and they're only intermediate" line."

I'd have to agree with that Castlebravo. They don't seem to give any heed to the fact that all of Ratoath's county players are either young or small or both,and it is tough to win an intermediate title with a young or small team. Give them time to develop as players and as a team, and see how they progress then. Of course if they do win it this year, all you will hear is "sure look at the population they have, they have a huge advantage." The begrudgery around here (mostly it seems from North Meath people with a hefty chip on their shoulder)against what is a very young promising team is unreal. It seems they would prefer them to fail, for club and county, just because they come from urban areas close to Dublin.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 28/09/2015 20:34:13    1793320

anfearbeag
County: Meath
Posts: 689

1793320 CastleBravo
"I've no connection to either team but nearly hope Ratoath win just so people will stop with the stupid "half the county team and they're only intermediate" line."

I'd have to agree with that Castlebravo. They don't seem to give any heed to the fact that all of Ratoath's county players are either young or small or both,and it is tough to win an intermediate title with a young or small team. Give them time to develop as players and as a team, and see how they progress then. Of course if they do win it this year, all you will hear is "sure look at the population they have, they have a huge advantage." The begrudgery around here (mostly it seems from North Meath people with a hefty chip on their shoulder)against what is a very young promising team is unreal. It seems they would prefer them to fail, for club and county, just because they come from urban areas close to Dublin.
======================================================================================================================================
Thats some pile of steaming BS in bold. I'm from North Meath and i don't give a fcuk who or where players come from so long as the're the best available players in the county. Unfortunately I think MOD has literally drawn a line across Meath and anyone north of Navan isn't considered good enough by him. Bar Newman and mchugh (the sub keeper) i can't think of any more players from north of that line. Are players in North Meath that bad that they're not even worthy of consideration?? Kells and Na Fianna look to have been two of the best teams this year yet i'd say neither of them will have a player on the panel next year (Yes i know na fianna is south). That pretty much highlights that the MOD mantra of picking on form etc is rubbish

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 29/09/2015 09:00:58    1793377

Very presumptuous there Brian. You cannot make a conjecture like that and slag MOD off based on what you think he might do or not do.

I think there is a very good chance that Kells and Na Fianna will be represented on a new panel especially with the new selectors on board. I reckon that there will be quite a few new players on the panel for the O'Byrne Cup/

oldsam_newsam (Meath) - Posts: 638 - 29/09/2015 11:39:34    1793494

Nothing straight forwad about this game and all the points made about Nobber's experience, the ability of Brian Farrell and the fact that they have already beaten Ratoath this year are points well made. I do think Ratoath will win and I certainly hope they win but this will not be easy and I havent spoken to anyone from Ratoath that thinks this wil be anything but a tough hard fought game

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 29/09/2015 12:51:24    1793575

I'm afraid its not BS at all Brian. You certainly are one of the more balanced posters on here,but if you look back through any threads that have involved Ratoath in the past year or so, there is a hell of a lot of petty begrudgery about them, and about the number of players they have on the county panel. That's unfortunate, buts its what I have been observing over the past year or two. And they generally follow a bit of a pattern:
1. They tend to be from People from the north of the county. Not all of the negativity comes from North Meath people. And not all people from the north of the county are like that (I had no idea you were from North Meath - thought you were a Seneschalstown man. But it is generally true
2. They pretty much all complain that there are too many people involved from Ratoath or other clubs close to Dublin (for a while it was O'Mahonys that had too many players, but that moved on)
3. They all reckon that we need more lads involved from north of Navan.
4. Almost without fail, they don't give the names of any of these north Meath players who should be on the panel, or any explanation as to why they would be any better than the players that are currently on it.

I am not from Ratoath, and have absolutely no links to the club in any way. But I can see that they have a fine crop of young players, pretty much all of whom made a decent contribution to the Meath cause this year. The only one you could reasonably have an argument with is Joey Wallace, and I think that even Ratoath people on here have acknowledged that he was probably brought onto the panel too early. But I have not seen too many players (from North Meath or anywhere else) who could say that they were hard done by having McGill, Power, McMahon and Eamonn Wallace ahead of them in the pecking order.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 29/09/2015 13:23:37    1793611

Two days to go and I've already got the nerves. Weather is a bit iffy. Rain is set to arrive Sunday afternoon/evening so it could have an effect on the game. Ample amount of flags and bunting around the village. Donaghmore/Ashbourne also have a message of support up.
The lads are going to have to have their shooting boots on if we're going to win this. We kicked far too many wides in the semi final, especially in the second half. Nobber will have the talent and experience to punish us if we repeat that. I think we're also going to have to come out of the blocks better than we have been doing. In every game I've seen this season, we've struggled in the first half only to pull away in the second. I would much rather a more consistent performance over both halves.

Overall, I don't care how we do it, I just hope we do it. There won't be a lot in it whoever wins it I feel.

Ratoath Royal (Meath) - Posts: 1362 - 02/10/2015 12:07:22    1795104

Best of luck to both teams but im sticking by what i said a month ago,Ratoath to win and to win the senior by 2017,best club team i have seen in all meath this year.

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1047 - 02/10/2015 12:33:56    1795124

Ratoath by 10 pulling up

overthehill72 (Meath) - Posts: 334 - 02/10/2015 13:12:17    1795157

Ratoath by 8 or so, their quick forwards will be too much for the Nobber full back line. Goals win games.

RedMeath12 (Meath) - Posts: 117 - 02/10/2015 14:39:29    1795204

I'm an Ashbourne lad,they are our neighbours,my mother is from Ratoath,hope its a good game,I will be in Navan for both games,but I hope Ratoath win to be honest..
I believe Ratoath had a message of support for Ashbourne last year so only fair that Ash did the same.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 02/10/2015 14:51:38    1795212

Anfearbeag

I totally agree with your post and if more clubs put in the effort that Rataoth put in at underage,well the county would be the better for it.They have no pumped huge amounts of money into either,they are a great example to what work can be done,they should be admired for it..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 02/10/2015 14:55:41    1795214

I'm an Ashbourne lad...

yeh right ziggy. We all know you're really Rath Togh in disguise. In any case, best of luck to you all in Ratoath - may the FORCE be with you!

aghref (Meath) - Posts: 148 - 02/10/2015 18:07:19    1795273

So anyone who gives Ratoath credit has to be from Ratoath?

my word...

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 02/10/2015 20:23:20    1795308