shame we couldn't produce performances like that in the other league games

stepaside (Meath) - Posts: 8 - 10/04/2011 16:41:50    907909

A good point at home... Congrats on staying up.

And well done to Kildare...

But really well done Banty? Finish with 3 points in Div 2......

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 10/04/2011 16:41:56    907910

Yippppppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeee, Balls will be on anti-depressants tonight.

Great game on a lovely sunny day at PT. The result means a huge weight has been lifted from all out shoulders and we can be more positive for the immediate future. For the first time our substitutions really showed how much strength in depth we have on the panel. There will be some competition for places come the first weekend in June. To put up a big score today when the full-forward line did more things wrong that right, is a credit to the rest of the team and the players who came on.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 10/04/2011 16:47:40    907915

Just back..

Gotta say delighted with the attitude,grit and commitment that our players showed today,hopefully we can bring that into the championship,happy we stayed up,a small bit disappointed we didn't win the game. However I thought it was played at good pace(Tyrone too),was a good test against a very good side.. Midfield cleaned up in the second half,Paddy O 'Rourke caused serious problems for the Tyrone rearguard,and we got support into the full forward line,the supply was decent too.Graham Reilly was absolutely outstanding,is scoring great and he showed great leadership near the end when needed.. Tyrone scored a goal went 4 points up and we didn't throw in the towel delighted with that..
Again though our biggest problem was our defence(or lack of) again same issues,fouling too much,and letting Tyrone walk through us,we where very lucky we didn't concede more goals,going forward this is our biggest problem not sure how we can tighting up here this year anyway..Though today it was a very in-experienced Half back line indeed..
We looked fitter today aswell,Joe had a bit of an off day,but worked his socks off,McAnarney done ok as he is not a full back,and could have had a goal. Young Gilsenan done very well when he came on and Farrell looked sharper... All in all nice to write more positively,Tyrone won't be too far away by the summer's end..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2011 17:10:54    907935

Regardless of whether or not we stayed up, and thankfully we did, what I was hoping for going to the game today was a performance where we showed heart and committment and didn't give up. Thankfully we did show all these and kept going to the end. Graham Reilly once again underlined how important he is to this team, a class act.

I did not like though the reaction at the end where the referee was booed off, he didn't cost us the win, although there were two incidents in particular that puzzled me, the awarding of a point when the player got booked for an elbow in the process of beating his man to score and also the awarding of a yellow card for what looked like a fist in front of the stand, I can't remember the players involved but it resulted in a free being overturned and a hop ball being awarded.

Also the person who threw a bottle at the referee as he came off the pitch should be ashamed, we were critical last year when a Laois fan threw a bottle at Reilly and of course the Louth fans in Croke Park and we do not condone that behaviour among our own.

jackhackett (Meath) - Posts: 773 - 10/04/2011 17:12:50    907938

Our whole half-back line are on the Meath under 21 team,I thought on the ball they where all quite good,but Tyrone ran through us there far too often.. Mark Ward done well when he came in,I thought he deserved a mention as I have been critical before..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2011 17:13:32    907939

Jimbo - I'll say this politely so it gets printed..

Get yourself a life will you please? Have you not enough going on with your own lot without trying to stir things here?

Pretty sad really.

BRING_ON_GURTY! (Meath) - Posts: 712 - 10/04/2011 17:14:14    907942

Vastly improved performance all over the field.

Was particularly impressed with Crawford and of course Graham Reilly who put in an unbelievable second half.

Was worried when I saw our "under 21" half back line - but they coped admirably.

Shane McAnarney also played very well - but it was also good to see Kevin Reilly back..

It's hard to know where we really are now - but if we keep the intensity we had today - we'll be hard beat.
The fact that missed twice as many chances as Tyrone also says something.

BRING_ON_GURTY! (Meath) - Posts: 712 - 10/04/2011 17:19:49    907948

MEATH TEAM TODAY

1.Brendan Murphy
2.Caomhin King(our best defender)
3.Shane McAnarney(done ok at times as he was out of position great workrate)
4.Gary O'Brien(poor)
5.Mark O'Sullivan (like 6 and 7 all under 21s in the half back line,good on the ball but weak defensively)
6.Bryan Menton(see above)
7.Conor Lenihan(see above)
8.Brian Meade(yellow cared as usual,was ok)
9.Nigel Crawford(fairly good game)
10.Seamus Kenny(worked hard won a lot of the ball in the first half,got tired)
11.Shane O'Rourke(much improved attitude)
12.Graham Reilly (0-4) (from play including one from over the 45 metre line,by far the best player on the field)
13.Joe Sherdan few points from play,messed abit going for goals when he showed have taken points,but looked sharp
14.Paddy O'Rourke(caused serious problems made some great catches,I was a bit surprised actually)
15.Cian Ward (very quiet)

Most of the subs done very well too..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2011 17:21:59    907951

Did anybody else see Barry Callaghan being hit on the back of the head by a bottle that a Tyrone fan tried to throw at the referee at the end???

Disgraceful carry on.

Thankfully I was told that the culprit was apprehended outside the stand.

BRING_ON_GURTY! (Meath) - Posts: 712 - 10/04/2011 17:22:51    907955

Great bit of fight. Massive improvment.
Pity it took so long to come.

Jinxie (Meath) - Posts: 6347 - 10/04/2011 17:22:53    907956

Jackhackett..

IT seemed the Tyrone fans where doing most of the booeing to me anyway,I fully agree with that point that was awarded,Meath should have had a free out at least,could have been a red too..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2011 17:25:37    907961

Gurty

I agee to a degree about our "Under 21" half back line,but off the ball we struggled there big time,Tyrone had so much space to run into arounf this sector,and ran through us far too easily..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2011 17:27:09    907963

I'd like to congratulate Balls on Louth winning promotion to division 2, and commiserate with him on Meath avoiding relegation to division 3. :)

Coylers Elbow (Meath) - Posts: 1075 - 10/04/2011 17:27:42    907964

Ziggy - fair point about the half backs but I almost calfed when I say them line out that way.

They lose at times but considering the calibre of players they faced and their own lack of experience -

BRING_ON_GURTY! (Meath) - Posts: 712 - 10/04/2011 17:30:14    907969

Sorry - re: half backs - I hit enter by accident!

I just thought they broek even enough and that in itself was impressive.

Lenehen had a good first half and Menton had a good 2nd half.

Against opponents like that - they stood up well and will only learn from it..

BRING_ON_GURTY! (Meath) - Posts: 712 - 10/04/2011 17:32:07    907972

wells Balls where are ya now?

delighted with todays performance...Biggy was superb!

RoyalBuck (Meath) - Posts: 26 - 10/04/2011 17:32:25    907974

Ok so HS heres the mundane version = eh hem......me happy, that is all.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 10/04/2011 17:37:17    907978

I would agree with you there Gurty,and I wouldn't make them scapegoats,because regardless of who plays there we have the same problem.. Would love to see Micky Burke back though..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2011 17:41:08    907983

Ziggy ....

The incident with the elbow happened in front of me, to be honest I think yellow was a fair punishment as it was more that he was trying to shake McAnarney off, red would have been harsh.

jackhackett (Meath) - Posts: 773 - 10/04/2011 17:52:16    907991