I think the difference between the 2 games yesterday was the first game featured the two best teams so it was a close tight game with neither team giving an ince and every mistake being punished which made for a bad game to watch as a neutural.

If navan can get mcGuiness fit enough to play 60 mins they should win the final

BlackKettle (Meath) - Posts: 66 - 15/10/2012 14:31:09    1283361

Thought Cormac Reilly had a shocker reffin the first match. Was very hard on Ashbourne. O Mahonys got their frees a lot handier.

kingofclubs (Meath) - Posts: 350 - 15/10/2012 14:39:29    1283367

BlackKettle
County: Meath
Posts: 49

1283361 I think the difference between the 2 games yesterday was the first game featured the two best teams so it was a close tight game with neither team giving an ince and every mistake being punished which made for a bad game to watch as a neutural.


Couldn't agree with you there. I thought part of the reason it was so poor was that there were periods where mistakes would very much go unpunished, and often a team trying to capitalise on a mistake just made one themselves. The forward play on show, particularly from Donaghmore, was of a very low standard.

Greenfield (Meath) - Posts: 524 - 15/10/2012 14:55:30    1283377

Looks like O'Mahonys decision to abandon Hurling in favour of the Keegan Cup is beginning to pay dividends......

Ex_Pat (USA) - Posts: 186 - 15/10/2012 16:42:41    1283478

I thought the first match was very interesting and exciting, Thought overall Don /Ash were slightly better side but lacked a bit of imagination up front when it mattered most. O Mahoney's strength is in their squad with useful subs to call on. Second match seemed to be at a lot slower pace and in fairness Tones never looked troubled by what is a fading Seneschalstown side who never looked capable of winning. The quality of Seneschalstown makes it hard to judge Tones but they do have the indian sign over O Mahoney's and it should be an interesting final

cowardlyasafox (Meath) - Posts: 209 - 15/10/2012 18:13:31    1283539

@ ex pat omahonys have being out of the hurling for nearly 2 months and have what 3-4 dual players at most so i dont know how you came to that conclusion

wolf tones have proved what most other counties already know, that you can have succesfull hurling and football teams working together
one pushes the other on
hope tones win it now, great to see them winning both codes

on another note the standard of club football in meath is gone very poor

hurlit (Meath) - Posts: 433 - 15/10/2012 19:02:50    1283587

No one will bet O Mahonies, too good of a squad. Ashbourne will be sick they didnt take their chances

bigstrike (Australia) - Posts: 3 - 15/10/2012 20:17:32    1283659

i fancy wolfe tones in the final.. they have a more balanced side all over. o mahonys forwards arent really up to it. it will be tight though if cian ward has a big day i fancy the tonnes

sam1996 (Meath) - Posts: 436 - 16/10/2012 10:34:15    1283807

"omahonys have being out of the hurling for nearly 2 months and have what 3-4 dual players at most so i dont know how you came to that conclusion....."

As someone who watches quite a bit of Hurling in this county I would say its a lot more than 3-4, they have a few good Hurlers who, for whatever reason, now only seem to play football. It was also evident during the year that some 'dual players' were unavailable through injury for Hurling matches yet recovered well enough later in the week to line out for the footballers. Rumours abound that the football manager wouldn't let the U21 'dual players' line out for the U21 Hurlers in O'Mahonys short lived U21 Championship campaign a couple of weeks ago.
Beaten finalists in last years SHC, winners of JHC to knocked out at the group stage and barely able to field a team for some fixtures in less than 12 months...?
It certainly looks like a decision was made to concentrate all the effort at winning the football this year. Nothing wrong with that I suppose, they're only echoing the wider policy of the County Board but it does make it difficult for a Hurling Manager at a dual club to do his job when the Football manager is effectively picking the team for him.....

Ex_Pat (USA) - Posts: 186 - 16/10/2012 11:52:07    1283849

In my opinion alot will depend on the ref as to what Cian Wards contribution will be in the senior final. As several people have said the Tones got some rather easy frees on sunday last. No better man when he's on his game to punish you from frees (If only he could show the same form for Meath). A player of Nial McKueiges ability has the tools to keep Cian quite from general play.

Diego (Meath) - Posts: 1205 - 16/10/2012 13:37:31    1283927

Well if its the ref from last weeks Navan v Ashbourne game he is snookered.

free count in the first half was 11 - 3 i think , Ashbourne got no frees inside the Navan half for the whole of the game.

dnewlad (Meath) - Posts: 137 - 16/10/2012 14:51:19    1283993

From watching the two semi finals on Sunday i thought the first game was very controversial, and for ashbourne to only score two points in the second half was terrible, the hoops have good strength in depth even with players out injured like ward, reilly, etc. What was going on with the omahonys keeper, must be injured??
I thought the second game was a real battle with individual battles all over the pitch. ciaran mc gloughlin was inspirational at full back along with his brother niall and eoin harrington.. midfield was a monster battle with 4 men 6ft3 plus and i thought stephen corrigan was magnificent, and one of the best mid fielders in club football in meath. ruddy was out of the game after 5 mins, damien and callaghan cancelled each other out and also thought callaghan was poor, was expecting alot more from him. I thought sheppard did well for the goal and can be inspirational at one minute and terrible the next, can never give a simple pass, always the extravagant. the two ward bro's were good and great to see cian back looking confident. brian sheirdan was the best of the three bro's, and lethal from dead balls but was kept quiet from play though. i also thought there goal keeper was lucky not to have given a penalty right at the end. overall a very entertaining and hardworking game. WILL BE A GREAT FINAL

isTHIS4real (Meath) - Posts: 97 - 16/10/2012 14:58:01    1284004

From watching the two semi finals on Sunday i thought the first game was very controversial, and for ashbourne to only score two points in the second half was terrible, the hoops have good strength in depth even with players out injured like ward, reilly, etc. What was going on with the omahonys keeper, must be injured??
I thought the second game was a real battle with individual battles all over the pitch. ciaran mcloughlin was inspirational at full back along with his brother niall and eoin harrington.. midfield was a monster battle with 4 men 6ft3 plus and i thought stephen corrigan was magnificent, and one of the best mid fielders in club football in meath. ruddy was out of the game after 5 mins, damien and callaghan cancelled each other out and also thought callaghan was poor, was expecting alot more from him. I thought sheppard did well for the goal and can be inspirational at one minute and terrible the next, can never give a simple pass, always the extravagant. the two ward bro's were good and great to see cian back looking confident. brian sheirdan was the best of the three bro's, and lethal from dead balls but was kept quiet from play though. i also thought there goal keeper was lucky not to have given a penalty right at the end. overall a very entertaining and hardworking game. WILL BE A GREAT FINAL

isTHIS4real (Meath) - Posts: 97 - 16/10/2012 15:00:14    1284010

"the two ward bro's were good" - Are you having a laugh?? Fiachra Ward was very poor (again) - any lad on the county minor team worth their salt should be standing out at senior club level

StoneWall (Meath) - Posts: 34 - 16/10/2012 15:29:40    1284028

isTHIS4real
" i also thought there goal keeper was lucky not to have given a penalty right at the end."

What was he doing so far up the field"? The mad egg!!

rath_togh (Meath) - Posts: 740 - 16/10/2012 15:34:11    1284036

I fancy the tones for this one,for a number of reasons.
I think O Mahonys downfall, ironically, is their strenght and depth. I honestly believe the manager cannot decide on his best players in positions. Too many changes all over the pitch. At start of second half, only Mark Brennan, Niall McKeigue, Steven O Toole, Forde, Bray and Keating seemed to have kept their positions.
If Ashbourne had a potent forward, theyd have one the game in my opinion.
Wolf tones on the other hand, have a lovely balance to their team and play with great confidence in each other.
Players play well with confidence, which is tough to achieve when you have 25 or 25 guys on par on your panel.
I am not running O Mahonys down at all, wish them luck, as do I to the tones. Just feel the team needs to settle

tackleberry (Meath) - Posts: 324 - 16/10/2012 15:36:18    1284038

on what basis do you make out that Mc Keigue has the tools to handle Ward ?

Analyst (Meath) - Posts: 1508 - 16/10/2012 16:25:29    1284075

Looks like both my predictions were spot on, Tones were far better than Seneschalstown and i thought the two McLoughlins were fantastic along with Steven Corrigan in midfield. O'Mahonys were very lucky and did shade it in the end but fair play to them because its a sign of a good team when you win while not playing well but i can't see them winning it againts the Tones, their squad is stronger than O'Mahonys i believe.

meath881988 (Meath) - Posts: 45 - 16/10/2012 17:31:05    1284112

Don Ash were hammered in a challenge recently V St Vincents, Seneschalstown the same V Moorefield ( not 100% on who it was) and Tones well beaten by The Feckins, Not sure how O mahoney's got on V Crossmaglen but there is little doubt that Meath football has declined dramatically in past 3-4 years

cowardlyasafox (Meath) - Posts: 209 - 16/10/2012 18:46:04    1284154

O mahonys bet crossmaglen by 7 points when they played

omahonysboy16 (Meath) - Posts: 67 - 16/10/2012 20:06:50    1284184