Meath will relish this challenge, they've nothing to lose as no one will really expect them to knock Dublin off their mantle this year.

Dublin will be looking forward to it too but perhaps not as much as all the pressure will be on them.

Should be a very exciting final.

THE_SNAPPER (Louth) - Posts: 2019 - 29/06/2014 17:29:19    1610834

Hard to look past the Dublin Region.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7823 - 29/06/2014 17:40:24    1610843

Na no pressure on dublin at all they are the better team hands down but Meath will be looking forward to a go at the final. Playing dublin or not you need to be in a final to be contesting. An Mhi Abu :)

Beautiful.Meath (Meath) - Posts: 537 - 29/06/2014 17:40:44    1610845

Dublins bench will win it for them. Meath bench has wood worm. Should be a good final though.

ged (Louth) - Posts: 296 - 29/06/2014 17:40:56    1610846

Oh God, cue the endless posts of Meath not being afraid of the Dubs and believing that they actually have a chance if they have their full team back. Meath I'm afraid like most counties are light years behind Dublin....

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 29/06/2014 17:42:02    1610847

I think we saw the best and worst of Meath today. Going back to circa 2007, we've had the same few niggling problems that continue to be exposed and are our downfall. Our defence as always. Decent for the first 50 minutes today, but that's due to bringing forwards back to help. Without playing a sort of blanket defence, our backs really struggle, and still struggle at times with forwards back helping them. A lot of slapping and the marking is normally far too loose. I'd go so far as to say, without forwards coming back to help, we've one of the loosest defences in the country. I remember one year a really average Limerick team annihilated them. Even if we got complacent in the last 20 minutes, our defence shouldn't have shipped that much. Kildare were waltzing by the defence at will by the end, and easily exposed us at times in the first half too.

Midfield. It's improving. Improved a hell of a lot since the Crawford/Ward era which was an absolute disaster. Well not consistently at least. There's a lot of chopping and changing in that department for the last few years. Meade and O'Rourke are both great at fielding, but neither can really put in a 70 minute shift at the tempo required when we play the good teams. Like today and last year against Dublin, teams really start to dominate us in midfield in the closing 10-15 minutes, when we are out on our feet. But we're improving all the time in midfield so it's a positive at least.

Our forward line is one of the deadliest in the country when they click. Again we seem to be chopping and changing with our forward line since 2007. Can never just get everyone out and fit, and get a consistent 6 playing together. So much unfilled potential. Since 2007, we always get glimpses of what they can do, and when they click can really blitz teams off the field. Previous management could never get the best out of them, no real direction of play, too one dimensional at times. O'Dowd seems to have a game plan for this Meath team, and the forwards are beginning to link up better. Players twisting and turning and causing all sorts of problem for their defenders and quickly feeding the ball off to players running through with quick passes, basically gelling better, with everyone knowing their job. Better vision too. Just need to be more clinical with taking the goal chances they create for themselves against the better teams.

Under O'Dowd we are improving and there's many positives. We have a game plan and a direction of play. Dublin are there for the taking in my opinion. When we blitzed them with 5 goals it was no fluke. If our forwards click on the day and take the many goal chances that they WILL create, we can bombard Dublin. We have to be out of site with 15 minutes to go as we we will fade like today and last year. We will struggle to get the ball in midfield in the final 15 minutes, and Dublin will over run our defence with ease in that period. We have to be out of site by that point. We do have the potential to get ourselves into that position. If our forwards are clinical against Dublin, I've no doubt whatsoever that we can take them

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4122 - 29/06/2014 17:49:18    1610856

Meath by 3

bloodandbandage (Cork) - Posts: 272 - 29/06/2014 17:49:40    1610857

I would be confident that we could beat Dublin,with a close to fit squad. Even if we had Gillespie,E.Wallace and Newman available.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 29/06/2014 17:52:26    1610859

Meath don't need any motivation to play Dublin, but they'll need it and an awful lot more than they have to even be in sight of their heels.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4895 - 29/06/2014 17:52:59    1610860

ged

Meath would have a good bench if they had less injuries to content with

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 29/06/2014 17:53:08    1610861

arock

We are good enough to beat ye player-wise,but don't think we will have the energy.Missing key players could cost us

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 29/06/2014 18:05:38    1610872

County man what are ya harping on about? Cue the endless meath posts of us thinking we can beat dublin no one is point blank saying that but we will take our chances and be confident going into this otherwise it would be an awful hammering! Do you think we don't know most teams are light years behind dublin? We do so no need for you to remind us.

Beautiful.Meath (Meath) - Posts: 537 - 29/06/2014 18:13:28    1610878

Two posters already seem to thing Meath have better players than Dublin...I rest my case....

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1102 - 29/06/2014 18:30:23    1610888

If we play like we have the last 2 games I think we'll be beaten or closely run at least, I suspect that we've intentionally been playing within ourselves so far though.

CaisleanCnucha (Dublin) - Posts: 1379 - 29/06/2014 18:35:05    1610892

Dublin will win this at a canter.

Any team that tries to take Dublin on in an open game is going to be fed to the lions & Meath are next on the menu.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/06/2014 19:30:26    1610919

county man
County: Limerick
Posts: 721

1610847
Oh God, cue the endless posts of Meath not being afraid of the Dubs and believing that they actually have a chance if they have their full team back. Meath I'm afraid like most counties are light years behind Dublin....

Stick to the hurling horse, I'm sure ye are not afraid of Cork either

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 29/06/2014 19:38:40    1610927

county man
County: Limerick
Posts: 721

1610847
Oh God, cue the endless posts of Meath not being afraid of the Dubs and believing that they actually have a chance if they have their full team back. Meath I'm afraid like most counties are light years behind Dublin....

Stick to the hurling horse, I'm sure ye are not afraid of Cork either

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 29/06/2014 19:39:57    1610928

Ziggy

Energy me hoop.

Yous are good enough or yous are not.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13705 - 29/06/2014 19:55:42    1610948

If Dublin play like they did for first 35 today for full 70 and Meath play for 70 like they did for 45 then yes we will win. But can't see either happening. Dublin will most likely win, but by jasus they will work for it. Look great to be back in final. The goal was to get thus far.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 29/06/2014 19:59:59    1610954

Meath will throw the kitchen sink at it. Tradition does not win games, but it does mean that certain teams will always be properly prepared and ready to go down with their boots on. Dubs v Meath like Kerry v Cork in football is one of those traditions.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 29/06/2014 20:10:27    1610965