KildareKelly (Kildare) - Posts: 593 - 24/06/2018 22:45:38    2114413

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1458 - 24/06/2018 22:47:36    2114415

Mayo v Derry and Dublin v Kerry semi finals

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11230 - 24/06/2018 23:08:49    2114431

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2781 - 25/06/2018 00:22:51    2114458

Very strange decision with semi final draws in Leinster. In a pub indoor soccer competition which had two groups , the winners of both groups wud be kept away from each other in the semi final. I heard it said a few times that whoever won each group they wud be kept apart in the semis. Even the kildare gaa twitter after the last round of matchs announced kildare wud be playing Dublin in the semis. So its bizzare but not the only time we have got a raw deal at this level . Remeber the last time Meath reached an under 21 final v the Dubs and the game was due to be played in Navan, but we know what happened.

Meath need all the breaks we can get. We r improving massively at underage , but we so badly need a couple of provincial titles. Even this year with the increase in full time coachs in the county at underage it feels we are really stepping up a level at underage level.

But this draw changes the whole dynamic of this whole leinster under 20 championship from advantage to Meath to advantage to kildare. lets leave the Dubs to one side.

With the victory over kildare and beating a very highly fancied under 20 Galway team in a challenge match recently and all our players coming from three different minor teams which beat or performed so well v Dublin recently, it meant we have looked more competitive at this age group in years. We r contenders for the title.
If the draw was the way it should be kildare would have to beat Dublin and probaly Meath twice to win the title. A much tougher draw. Now Meath have to beat Dublin and probaly kildare twice to win the title. Thats a tougher run for us altogether.

Dublin are the top dogs at this level. Kildare have pushed them recently but the fact is Dublin have won 5 All Ireland under 21 titles since 2000. They are superstrong at this level. And yes we have players from Meath minor team which hammered Dublin in 2016, players that beat Dublin in leinster minor ( under 17) final last year and the rest of the players are from last years minor team that were 10 points up at half time v the Dubs , and lost after a great comeback and victory in extra time for the Dubs. So in many ways we have nothing to fear here with all these under 20 Meath players have eitheir beaten or played really well v this Dublin team of players. Theres not many counties at any level that cud say the same thing recently .

And yes the game is in Navan and Meath at any level r tough to beat in Navan. But playing Dublin at any level and particularly at this level , they are a very tough nut to crack. And lets say we do pull of a massive victory it would be our biggest win at this level since we defeated Jim Galvins under 21 Dubs in 2011 which was full of future Dublin stars.

Thats my fear the same thing cud happen. We beat the Dubs and then lost to longford in the next round. Anytime at any level we beat the Dubs in an earlier round before a leinster final we usually lose and dont win the provicial title. We become favourites for the title and dont seem to realise that once the Dubs r beaten everyone left in the competition now feels they have a chance to win..

I will give u examples in last 20 years we defeated Dublin in earlier rounds of leinster. In 97 we defeated Dublin at senior in q final , we lost the final to Offaly after. In 2010 we defeated Dublin at senior in semi final, after we all know how badly we played v louth in the final.
In 2011 at under 21 we defeated Dublin in q final , we lost the semi final to longford after. In 2016 we defeated Dublin in minor q final , after we lost to kildare in semi final.

Im a traditionalist I like to beat Dublin in a final more then any other county..But I always feel we r better meeting Dublin in a final then earlier rounds. Lets say we did beat Dublin which would be a massive result. More then likely it could be a Kildare v Meath final. These Kildare and Meath players have played each other at minor and under 20 level in recent times and there was a point between each other in both games. There is very little between both teams basically. If kildare get over Offaly and we get over Dublin, kildare wud be a great position, as we wud be strong favourites .

So for me this totally changes the dynamic of this championship. Dublin are still the team to beat. Offaly have the best player in the competition with Johnston and have a good team also..But the two big challengers were Meath and kildare. After the kildare v Meath game and victory to Meath , Meath were in a very good position. Now because of the strange open draw decision kildare r in a very good position. And remeber kildare have players which won a minor title, something we havent.

You need to beat top teams to win titles. But we are badly in need of underage titles. So we need every break going. So for this to happen for me it makes it twice as hard now to win the leinster title. And if Brian Farrell was to manage us to this leinster title after beating kildare twice and Dublin once it would be our best leinster title win at any age level since we won 2001 leinster senior title when we defeated reigning leinster champions kildare and Dublin in the leinster final.

Things have just got a lot harder in the whole under 20 championship for us. We have impressed so far, now we really need to bring it on. If not another chance of underage title is gone it would be another blow. If we lose to Dublin it would mean we have had 3 strong underage teams in last 3 years ( minor 2016 and 2017 , under 20 2018) and not one of them wud have reached a leinster final even though some excellent victories. We at least so badly need to get to this leinster under 20 final. Even a leinster under 20 final appearance wud be a boost. As we have only incredibly played in 1 under 21 leinster final ( in the year 2014) since 2001 ( our last leinster title victory at this grade was in 2001). But Dublin are still favourites for the title and the top team in the provience . They have a number of players from last years All Ireland winning team. But before the open draw decision was made Meath looked like being the main challenger. Now kildare look in a much better place. At least the under 20 leinster championship is much a more competition, more competitive, more interesting then the senior counterpart.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1067 - 27/06/2018 09:19:33    2115720

I've been checking on line to see where the U20 semifinals are due to be played but can't find anything other than there due to be played on the 14/15 of July, has anyone got any clue as I need to make plans .

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 06/07/2018 13:45:58    2119127

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2781 - 06/07/2018 15:10:48    2119151

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 06/07/2018 16:44:05    2119168

I am only speculating sir I don't know. What I do know is the GAA are generally a rule to their own when it comes to scheduling fixtures.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2781 - 06/07/2018 19:35:38    2119196

Jays Anthony Nolan can only see the frees for Dublin, Kildare couldn't buy a free . Also dubs taking loads of steps.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 06/07/2018 19:42:29    2119197

Why isn't this played in Croker.

Furious here.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 06/07/2018 19:53:41    2119200

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 06/07/2018 20:09:42    2119202

What's with the ref, 10 frees to 1 my god.

jonno (Kildare) - Posts: 260 - 06/07/2018 20:14:22    2119203

Dubs on the ropes here, Kildare desverdly 5 points up at HT.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 06/07/2018 20:19:47    2119206

Kildare anhilating the Dubs.

Better tactics.
Hungrier
Better players.

Fully deserved.

TheUsername (Dublin) - Posts: 4445 - 06/07/2018 20:32:41    2119210

Where are all the dubs fans?

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 06/07/2018 20:36:12    2119212

RAHKILL (Westmeath) - Posts: 395 - 06/07/2018 21:00:02    2119216

Only flitted in and out of game but from what I did see impressive stuff from Kildare. Hopefully they do themselves credit outside of the province not something they have always done.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2781 - 06/07/2018 21:02:21    2119218

Excellent win for Kildare today. What a week of football for them and their minors in the semi final tomorrow and would expect them to win. I am annoyed at Meath's performance against Dublin in the semi as I honestly thought we'd win. 3 of the last 5 minors for Kildare and 2 of the last 6 Under 20/21. Should bode well for Leinster football in the future

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1458 - 06/07/2018 21:16:11    2119222

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2837 - 06/07/2018 21:29:05    2119224