National Forum

Donegal V Meath

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Replying To southmeathgael:  "I agree with most things you say, but we certainly aren't poor at the back, full back line is excellent."
Your full back line has been good, but as an outsider who only seen Meath play against Clare this year your half back line was woeful, in fact for long periods they were non existent against Clare. Better teams who can shoot from distance would have wrapped up Meath handy enough last weekend. Clares half back and full backs sauntered down the field at ease unopposed on several occasions. Donegal who can break at speed would expose the half back line a lot more than Clare would. They are very quick at transitioning the ball from back to front as was seen against Cavan in the Ulster final and have no fear shooting from distance.

The_Biler (Westmeath) - Posts: 84 - 08/07/2019 21:07:10    2208156

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I think it might be a wee bit like the Cavan game, but would expect Meath to put up more of a fight. I just think they might have too many fires to put out. Even if Murphy or McBrearty are held, you have the likes of Ban, McHugh, Brennan etc.
Meath certainly have some quality players who will need to be watched, but I just think that we have more than they do at this point in time. Without wanting to sound patronizing it is great to see Meath getting back to the top levels again. I just think we're a bit further down the road than them and that we'll win this by about 5 or 6 points.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9189 - 08/07/2019 21:09:49    2208159

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Replying To Young_gael:  "For Meath, the fear and pressure should come off. They're in bonus territory x2 and they've done a great deal this year to credit themselves. With the utmost pride and respect in my team, they've done extremely well to win promotion to Div.1, reach the Leinster Final, and reach the Super 8's this year given what the panel has to offer. That being said, they're up against it now. Nowhere to hide.
As a realist, and a lover of the game first and foremost, I fear for Meath in the next three matches. I dont believe in moral victories or polishing turds so Meath have a huge game in Ballybofey against Donegal firing on all cylinders. Two years back they got within 2 points. This year on two occasions they were beaten in the last 10/15 minutes. This should be a different animal altogether but we'll see what it brings. I firmly believe Meath will get closer to Mayo and Kerry than to Donegal."
Yes I would echo these thoughts too.

Realistically I like many, will travel supporting in hope and expectation of the team and squad learning from one of the best in the current footballing climate. I would believe that, having seen Donegal up close twice this year (in ballybofey and Croke Park's division 2 league final) and Dublin 3 times throughout their forays in Leinster, Donegal are every bit a match for the 5 in a row chasers. With this in mind, and Ballybofey being such a championship fortress, it should be a shot to nothing for us. Play with our heart on our shelf, with workrate and desire, hopefully putting the learning from both previous matches v Donegal this year to go measure. All expectations and realistic opinions would indicate a victory for the Tir Chonaill men.

Defensively I believe that we are improving and playing as a unit with some quality. These are lovely young talented footballers learning every day. Conor McGill is developing into an accomplished full back aided by Seamus Lavin and Shane Gallagher in the corners. And IMO the half back line is our strongest on the pitch. Donal Keoghan and Padraic Harnan are excellent defenders as well as counter attackers.

However when all said and done Donegal are, and should prove to be, a number of steps ahead of Meath on Sunday. We will trouble the defense for periods, after all we average 16.7 points per championship match in 2019. But the cream always rises and with Micheal Murphy, Ryan McHugh, Eoin Ban Gallagher, Jamie Brennan, Paddy McBrearty etc in your ranks, I feel Meath will be learning.

But it will be how we improve from the learnings going into the Mayo and Kerry matches.

David (Meath) - Posts: 567 - 08/07/2019 21:19:33    2208169

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Replying To RoyalBadger:  "If you're chatting to any of the Donegal panel be sure to tell them it'll be a 9 point win. Keep up the good work!"
Haha, somehow I don't think the Donegal players care what us supporters expect. If they did, they wouldn't of bothered showing up v Tyrone as most of us didn't fancy our chances at all for that game. This is a really focused group of players who as far as we know have a fully fit squad to choose from. Its sport so anything can happen but the bookies odds would suggest that Donegal supporters are right to be confident.

Mobot (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 08/07/2019 21:41:30    2208188

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Replying To JoeSoap:  "It'll be interesting to see how we set up for this, I think we've come a long way from the league final and in that second half we really stepped up a gear which Meath didn't handle well. We were very open against them and Newman had a field day against young Brendan McCole before Neil McGee came on and shored things up (along with a change in tactics I think). So I'll be curious to see if they'll set up to snuff out any hint of hope for the high ball into Newman this time around and try and put this to bed early doors.

I don't think it's overconfident to say we should win this match and it'll be bitterly disappointing if we don't."
Newman was very effective in the league with the mark rule.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1365 - 08/07/2019 21:52:00    2208197

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Replying To royaldunne:  "Mines a snack box. No self respecting Meath men eat kebabs after a match a snack box or a dinner box only"
I had you down as a spicebag man royal.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 08/07/2019 22:07:56    2208206

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "I think it might be a wee bit like the Cavan game, but would expect Meath to put up more of a fight. I just think they might have too many fires to put out. Even if Murphy or McBrearty are held, you have the likes of Ban, McHugh, Brennan etc.
Meath certainly have some quality players who will need to be watched, but I just think that we have more than they do at this point in time. Without wanting to sound patronizing it is great to see Meath getting back to the top levels again. I just think we're a bit further down the road than them and that we'll win this by about 5 or 6 points."
As often pretty spot on comments Lock. See it similar myself with just like the Cavan game too many fires for Meath to put out. Plus given our recent history and with MM complacency won't be an issue. Saying that think Meath will bring enough to keep it reasonably competitive. Donegal by 4 plus but I do expect an element of energy management in the latter stages with an eye on Croke Park. Expecting a much improved performance from Niall O'Donnell who had a nervous Ulster final but was excellent in the league final between the sides.

panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2784 - 08/07/2019 23:03:33    2208244

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Ballybofey is probably not the place where Meath would ideally like to go to first.

The way these fixtures worked out for Meath being Ballybofey then to Croke Park we probably should be going into a game against Kerry with not much to play for which is a real pity. If perhaps this Sunday was home to Kerry the occasion in Navan would be huge on the back of a win with everything to play for.

This time around though I feel we can hope to take a scalp in one of our games while keeping the other two games close and go out with our heads held high.

NuttyMeathMan (Meath) - Posts: 35 - 08/07/2019 23:17:29    2208249

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Meath always raised their game against us and we were lucky to beat them in Navan a few years ago when Mc Brearty stood up for us.
I was really impressed with their man on man marking in the league game but think their weakness will be their inability to stop our half back line running havoc through the middle. I also think we'll really push up on the luck outs and make Meath go long where we should have enough to win that area!
Hoping for a good weather day and good game. The atmosphere in Ballybofey before the Super 8 game v Tyrone last year was brilliant.

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 09/07/2019 00:23:10    2208263

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Replying To The_Biler:  "Your full back line has been good, but as an outsider who only seen Meath play against Clare this year your half back line was woeful, in fact for long periods they were non existent against Clare. Better teams who can shoot from distance would have wrapped up Meath handy enough last weekend. Clares half back and full backs sauntered down the field at ease unopposed on several occasions. Donegal who can break at speed would expose the half back line a lot more than Clare would. They are very quick at transitioning the ball from back to front as was seen against Cavan in the Ulster final and have no fear shooting from distance."
If Clare's full back and half back line breaking out with the ball was our half back line fault, then you are right to criticise them cause they must have been woefully out of possition. Harnan was immense against Clare at 6, and keogan, at 5, has now secured an all star nomination with super 8 qualification. All meaths issues are from 9 to 15 imo, not enoigh physical presence to win any type of ball and or defend well enough rom the front to stop any sort of momentum building..... this is why clare sauntered out so easily and why donegal will do the same unfortunetwly. Wouldnt be confident of our gk either.

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 894 - 09/07/2019 07:19:27    2208278

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They handicap is ridiculous, and I think the majority of donegal people will accept that. The last 3 meetings have been very tight close affairs. And I see nothing to suggest this game will be any different, donegal are rightly fav , as has been said Meath are under no pressure whatsoever. So a close game I think is on the cards.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 09/07/2019 08:24:45    2208284

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Meath's defence was great against Dublin's kicking game in the Leinster Final but once Dublin started to move the ball at pace through the hands they got a lot more joy.

There is no team in the country better at going through the hands than Donegal.

The amount of chances the Meath backs gave away to Clare from about 40m would have to a worry for McEntee going into the Donegal game too. Donegal have some excellent long range kickers and could really make hay on their home patch.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13725 - 09/07/2019 09:22:14    2208301

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Replying To royaldunne:  "They handicap is ridiculous, and I think the majority of donegal people will accept that. The last 3 meetings have been very tight close affairs. And I see nothing to suggest this game will be any different, donegal are rightly fav , as has been said Meath are under no pressure whatsoever. So a close game I think is on the cards."
Dead right hey. It's just a conspiracy on behalf of the bookmaking industry to slight the good name of Meath GAA, even if that means that they lose money!

the_walls (Mayo) - Posts: 495 - 09/07/2019 09:36:30    2208311

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Replying To royaldunne:  "They handicap is ridiculous, and I think the majority of donegal people will accept that. The last 3 meetings have been very tight close affairs. And I see nothing to suggest this game will be any different, donegal are rightly fav , as has been said Meath are under no pressure whatsoever. So a close game I think is on the cards."
2 of the last 3 meetings were league games. The championship game a few years ago was during Rory Gallagher's final year which was a total shambles. Was there in person and we were awful and still scraped by. Meath have improved for sure but Donegal will be unrecognizable on Sunday from that team which played in Navan a few years back.

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1322 - 09/07/2019 09:36:42    2208312

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "I think it might be a wee bit like the Cavan game, but would expect Meath to put up more of a fight. I just think they might have too many fires to put out. Even if Murphy or McBrearty are held, you have the likes of Ban, McHugh, Brennan etc.
Meath certainly have some quality players who will need to be watched, but I just think that we have more than they do at this point in time. Without wanting to sound patronizing it is great to see Meath getting back to the top levels again. I just think we're a bit further down the road than them and that we'll win this by about 5 or 6 points."
I think that's a fair assessment Lockjaw.

I've been very impressed with Donegal this year, to me they are the top challengers to Dublin and in the likes of Murphy, McBrearty and McHugh etc you have top quality match winners.

It's great for us to make the Super 8s, it gives us a taste of what's ahead next spring and what will be required to compete in Div 1. Realistically our best bet in the Super 8s is to try and take a scalp, and to be honest the place we're least likely to get it is anway in Ballybofey.

I'm just hoping we can keep things tight, win our own kickouts (this is a big concern) and use our possession well, if we're still in it with 10-15mins to go then great. But if we let Donegal pull away I can't see any way back into the game for us.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 09/07/2019 09:37:07    2208313

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Replying To Donegal_abroad:  "2 of the last 3 meetings were league games. The championship game a few years ago was during Rory Gallagher's final year which was a total shambles. Was there in person and we were awful and still scraped by. Meath have improved for sure but Donegal will be unrecognizable on Sunday from that team which played in Navan a few years back."
And so will Meath

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 09/07/2019 10:58:25    2208348

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Replying To bdbuddah:  "Newman was very effective in the league with the mark rule."
Very fair point. You'll probably see Hugh McFadden back there as a sweeper so even if Newman wins the ball in he'll be swarmed straight away, similar to what happened Mattie Donnelly and Cathal McShane after the first 10 minutes.

We will give you plenty chances though, that's one thing that's been obvious all summer.

JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 09/07/2019 11:13:29    2208356

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Replying To royaldunne:  "And so will Meath"
Mighty stuff. Should be titanic stuff!

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1322 - 09/07/2019 12:55:07    2208404

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Replying To southmeathgael:  "If Clare's full back and half back line breaking out with the ball was our half back line fault, then you are right to criticise them cause they must have been woefully out of possition. Harnan was immense against Clare at 6, and keogan, at 5, has now secured an all star nomination with super 8 qualification. All meaths issues are from 9 to 15 imo, not enoigh physical presence to win any type of ball and or defend well enough rom the front to stop any sort of momentum building..... this is why clare sauntered out so easily and why donegal will do the same unfortunetwly. Wouldnt be confident of our gk either."
My point is your half back line didn't know how to deal with the runners. They backed off, ball watched and allowed them run. Your half forward line was also slow to track back to help out. If they do this against Donegal they will get slaughtered. Donegal popped over long range points for fun against Cavan. I do hope it will be an even game.

The_Biler (Westmeath) - Posts: 84 - 09/07/2019 16:33:17    2208531

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Brilliant interview with McGill in star today. We fear playing no one.
This guy is a fantastic fb, and a gentleman off the field too.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 09/07/2019 18:16:53    2208579

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