There is no logic to the 'better team won' idea as a means of brushing over injustice. You can't simply justify Mayo's loss by saying that overall Meath were the better team. Perhaps they were but the scoreboard is the only thing that separates winners and losers. Not subjectively who people think should of won. What is clear is that the officials got numerous big calls wrong and they mostly went against Mayo.

Two incidents stand out.

1. A Mayo player was pushed out over the sideline in front of two officials resulting in a line ball to Meath.
2. A penalty was awarded for a footblock when the penalized player was up to 3 metres away from the Meath player who kicked the ball.

The above is not good enough. If i were a Mayo supporter, i'd be disgusted anyway; as 26 mins without scoring will not win a game. But from a neutrals perspective, the officials must get the big calls right in big games. This is a re-occuring trend and is just not good enough!

seany16 (Dublin) - Posts: 1663 - 26/08/2012 15:20:12    1252113

Not for the first time in this years minor matches has a ref help Meath youngsters over the line ! shocking stuff time for Pat to take these incompetent officials to book!

DynamoDooher (Tyrone) - Posts: 423 - 26/08/2012 15:20:25    1252114

Mayonnaise get a grip will ya, for a County that has won nothing since 57 to have 31 counties shouting for Dublin next week is a symbol how mayo football is thought of. Go on whinge about refs as much as you like McHale can dine out on that for another 15 years. Meath were by far better team in both halves and anyone from a County with proper footballers will tell you that. Ref was poor no doubt . But better team won. Accept that

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/08/2012 15:20:54    1252115

hurlingdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 4095

1252097 Fair play to Meath. They cleaned up in midfield and they deserved to win despite some terrible waste of ball. The penalty was not a penalty in my opinion. That rule I thought only applied where a foot block was a danger to the person kicking the ball. Certainly not in that instance as the ball had well left the Meath chap's foot. Feel sorry for Mayo.

yep have to agree very soft penalty imo

dubbydave. (Dublin) - Posts: 3927 - 26/08/2012 15:21:30    1252116

Did anyone see Paddy Kennellys goal celebration , reminds me of Marco Tardellis (i think???) celebration for Italy in the World cup final !!! :L

M.Simoncelli (Meath) - Posts: 126 - 26/08/2012 15:36:09    1252130

Great result for our minors, absolutely delighted with it and for those complaining about decisions we got I have just one question, do you think we won because of the ref or the fact that Mayo didn't score for 25+mins in the second half? Just curious.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 26/08/2012 15:37:33    1252133

Congrats to meath...

DUB1 (Dublin) - Posts: 5583 - 26/08/2012 15:52:31    1252143

Meath people as usual have absolutely no class, sad to see.

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 26/08/2012 15:57:17    1252150

Well Htaem do you think meath would have won without the decisions?? Cause i dont but good luck in the final anyway.

thegreatone (Mayo) - Posts: 63 - 26/08/2012 15:59:41    1252152

Still bitching and moaning I see, ah well some things will never change :-)

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 26/08/2012 16:12:40    1252168

the thing is we honestly were the better team, even at half time all the commentators said we should have been ahead by afew points and defiantely not behind. in the second half we completely dominated. mayo didnt look like they had the stomach going in for some of the balls, the amount of overturns we got in the second half was unreal. yeah fair enough the ref made bad calls for the two goals but meath should have already had about two goals by that stage, we were so unlucky in the first half with goal chances and if mayo had won im sure alot of people would have come on and said meath could have won and were the better team so atleast this time the better team was rewarded and we won.

meathalltheway (Meath) - Posts: 789 - 26/08/2012 16:21:40    1252178

Htaem
County: Meath
Posts: 3761

A Mayo person may agree. But from a neutral perspective we expect the rules of the game to be enforced properly. That is all.

seany16 (Dublin) - Posts: 1663 - 26/08/2012 16:44:27    1252203

The ref was pretty fair as far as I could see, unlike last year's AI senior final it has to be said!

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 26/08/2012 16:49:02    1252208

Try to understand........Meath deserved to win on the balance of who was the better team on the day overall but they would not of won if the ref had done his job properly, penalty decision was a joke and the blatant as blatant can be push on the sideline was obviously a free kick to Mayo, which led to the penalty.

51longago (Mayo) - Posts: 2981 - 26/08/2012 17:51:48    1252274

3 facts:

1. Better team did win... a lot hungrier, I thought and deserving for that alone.
2. Better team won only because of two goals, neither of which should have stood.
3. The collision of the 2 Mayo lads was the real turning point... Meath dominated midfield after, all the way to the end.

Good luck in the final to Meath... based on today's showing you've probably just saved our lads heartache.

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 26/08/2012 17:57:39    1252279

paddyogall
County: Mayo
Posts: 4901

1252150
Meath people as usual have absolutely no class, sad to see.

One of the funniest things I've ever heard coming from a Mayo man.

Beautiful.Meath (Meath) - Posts: 537 - 26/08/2012 18:05:32    1252293

Some poor decisions against Mayo in the 2nd half (thought he did ok until ht), particularly for the two goals. Mayo have right to be aggrieved but overall Mayo can only blame themselves, they played some excellent counter-attacking football in the first half but in the 2nd half after getting some good scores on the boards early reverted into their defensive shell and Meath eventually got the scores they needed by whatever means. Mayo would have won playing their traditional game. Must say was very impressed by the Meath centre field. You'd imagine this one is Dublins to lose though.

Stuckinthepast (Galway) - Posts: 472 - 26/08/2012 18:12:58    1252301

Htaem
County: Meath
Posts: 3762

Stick to the topic at hand.

seany16 (Dublin) - Posts: 1663 - 26/08/2012 18:24:58    1252311

For the 3rd Sunday running the minor referee has been the main talking point at the end of 3 decent games.
Last Sunday the minor ref ended the game with the red card and in the other two games the ref decided the game with incompetence.
Thats not to say the better team didnt win all three games but in at least two these teams were aided by the ref.

conordee (Galway) - Posts: 456 - 26/08/2012 18:45:42    1252332

killer 88 delighted with the result not because mayo were beaten but the bull we had to listen to on the roscommon page from ya . i,m sure theirs decnt filks in mayo but this dude is a total toser total

john1971 (Roscommon) - Posts: 185 - 26/08/2012 18:46:58    1252335