It was exactly the same as the massacre Dublin gave Louth the corresponding day last year. Even the same scoreline.
I agree about the mentality that Westmeath and Louth seem to have, beaten before the game you could the body language as Dublin tagged on those first 8 points.
Westmeath were pretty naive too and very open, waste of time against Dublin
People mention Mesth putting it up to them last year but really?? Dublin stepped back a bit when a hammering was on the cards and the late goal by Meath glossed the scoreline.that said yes as bad as Meath they rarely capitulate against Dublin
Dublins intensity is unreal and will have to be matched by anyone who wants to give them a game.They are so used of cakewalks that when the pressure comes on it will be interesting to see how it's handled.
Won't happen in Leinster

sam57 (Louth) - Posts: 1502 - 02/06/2013 08:14:54    1396766

Yep snapper agree with you, there is some mental block with louth and Westmeath. Whereas louth could beat meath kildare etc the would lose by a cricket score to the dubs, while meath or kildare might just beat them, or at least give them a game. It seems to be just one of those things

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 02/06/2013 08:34:45    1396770

Thought the Dubs were impressive. The usual old story pace and power. What I found interesting was the speed at which they moved the ball at times. From the half back line it was like one touch football at times. As soon as they got it there was no solos or bounces, just look and kick into space. Gavin preparing for the tougher games ahead!

DLlegends (Donegal) - Posts: 503 - 02/06/2013 10:29:57    1396792

Flanagan comments were to be honest, just covering himself, he should have been man enough to admit he got his tactics totally wrong and played Russian roulette with Dublin, very disappointed that he tried to blame championship structures in a attempt to deflect the criticism. Look closer to home pat.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 02/06/2013 11:11:13    1396820

we heard all week from pundits and posters on here about the white heat of championship compared to league football.well last nights match was like a challenge match,i have seen more intensity in o byrne cup games never mind league matches.
i actually thaught that was the worst dublin have played all year and still won by 16 points.
too many guys were going through the motions,some of the passing was very sloppy.
bernard missed about 5 points in first half alone,connolly 3 goals missed.
didnt get tested in centre field.kilkenny done nothing in centre forward.
one positive was we had nine scorers which was brilliant and our forwards laid down clear marker to any team if your going to beat us your going to have to come out and outscore us.
not ideal prep to play kildare though.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 02/06/2013 11:15:01    1396822

Hill I agree that Dublin didn't even get out of second gear. Westmeath were absolutely abysmal (I for one thought they would do better)
Let's be honest London would have given Dublin a better game, tougher games lay ahead, but worrying Dublin are going to improve so much.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 02/06/2013 11:25:34    1396834

while meath or kildare might just beat them,

Eh RD, you can omit Meath from that statement!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8821 - 02/06/2013 11:30:41    1396843

we heard all week from pundits and posters on here about the white heat of championship compared to league football.well last nights match was like a challenge match,i have seen more intensity in o byrne cup games never mind league matches.
i actually thaught that was the worst dublin have played all year and still won by 16 points.
too many guys were going through the motions,some of the passing was very sloppy.
bernard missed about 5 points in first half alone,connolly 3 goals missed.
didnt get tested in centre field.kilkenny done nothing in centre forward.
one positive was we had nine scorers which was brilliant and our forwards laid down clear marker to any team if your going to beat us your going to have to come out and outscore us.
not ideal prep to play kildare though.

________

Not worried about Kildare at all to be honest.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13659 - 02/06/2013 11:34:06    1396845

Realdub. On all known form you can say that just like in ten and in plenty of other games between counties over a long time.
meath view Dublin with contempt as Dublin view meath, even when we were far far superior to them. Fact is no meath player will ever feel they can't beat Dublin and vice versa.
but let's leave this aside until and more importantly if we meet. Who knows it could be a louth kildare final.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 02/06/2013 11:39:56    1396851

Absolutely sickening performance. Stupid mistakes cost us hugely. And they had nothing to do with who we were playing. Sharry and Martin were the only ones that stood up yesterday, and it just happens that they are our 2 most athletic players. Why did we keep hitting short Kickouts when we had a superior midfield? We were only interested in stopping Dublin getting goals, which for most of the game we did. Then we completely forgot about stopping them from getting points or us getting them ourselves. People are saying the gap is too big but why don't the GAA narrow the gap by taking away Dublin's advantages? 7 games in Croker already this year? Play the game in Tullamore. Simple.
I also thought the ref was poor, always giving the free against the man with the ball no matter what was being done to him. Very frustrating to watch a lad being bundled to the ground and being done for steps.

square_ball_69 (Westmeath) - Posts: 826 - 02/06/2013 11:41:05    1396853

The thing is will Dublin improve ?.

I don't believe Dublin improved anything at all from the hammering they gave Louth in their opening Leinster championship game last year.

When Dublin meet stiffer opposition down the line which they will do they certainly won't be afforded the same luxuries they got from Westmeath last night.

It's touch and go whether Dublin can improve anything on last night, I'd argue strongly that they WILL NOT better the score line they got and I'd also argue strongly no other team will be as poor as Westmeath were.

THE_SNAPPER (Louth) - Posts: 2019 - 02/06/2013 11:42:29    1396855

We were outclassed, simple as that. Dublin shot on sight and most times it went over the bar. For one of his points, Brogan was knocked in two directons by tackles and still shot it over the bar whilst falling. Class.

Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1080 - 02/06/2013 11:51:07    1396863

Giving Dublin home advantage in an AWAY game for them is a complete joke. Counties need to start standing up to the central council or whoever makes the decisions about playing games in Croke Park. It's like MAn UTd playing 80 percent of matches at OLd TRafford. Huge imbalance in fairness driven by the money men. I can guarantee Westmeath would have challenged DUblin a lot more if the game was allowed to be played as a Home match for them.

Headtheball1 (Louth) - Posts: 81 - 02/06/2013 11:54:03    1396867

I'd agree RD, it could well be a Louth/Kildare final, much better chance of that happening than Meath beating Dublin in it. And just for the record, ye were NEVER far superior to us : )

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8821 - 02/06/2013 12:05:09    1396875

hill16no1man
County: Dublin
Posts: 4609

Our forwards laid down clear marker to any team if your going to beat us your going to have to come out and outscore us.

An example of stating the bleeding obvious there Hill. Football has always been like that, hurling too. You have to outscore the opposition if you are going to win, or am I missing something.........

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 02/06/2013 12:13:40    1396880

Totally agree with Hill it was an inept display at times from Dublin that lacked cohesion and tempo. Alot of wayward kick passes that went over the white lines and the wide count was far too high. Bernard seemed to be very selfish at times an element of his game I thought he had addressed some of his shot selections were boarding on the bizarre. Paddy Andrews, Diarmuid Connelly and Paul Flynn put in some shifts harassing that hyped up Westmeath half-backline into numerous mistakes and turnovers. Tactically Westmeath were awful not even bothering to contest Dublin's kickouts ala Donegal in 2011.

People can moan and groan all they want about the All Ireland structure and Dublin playing in Croker the fact is the Donegals, Dublins, Mayos, Kerrys, etc are operating at a different level to the rest, the bar has been raised and the gap won't close by changing venues or having open draws there will still be hidings being dished out. Other sports don't change their structures when certain competitors raise the bar or become dominant it's up to the also rans to get their fingers out, the Gaa can increase the weaker teams funding but you can't buy talent or commitment.

When Donegal or Mayo hammer a team they are showered with praise but when Dublin, Kerry and Cork hammer teams the whole All Ireland structure is wrong.

Bluewave (Dublin) - Posts: 552 - 02/06/2013 12:15:08    1396881

westkerry
County: Kerry
Posts: 264

1396683
Yes I I've a few contacts in the Royal county!
Meath have traditionally put it up to Dublin and beat Kildare last year they won Leinster
a few years back.

Tradition can go out the window. Meath are absolutely nowhere near standard of Dublin. It would be great to see a Kildare louth final. Louth could put it up to them but not the dubs in croker, but in saying that also, Kildare are a lot further on since 2010. Dubs should be made move out if croker for their away games. Look how close Longford came a few years back.

sneachta (None) - Posts: 414 - 02/06/2013 12:16:02    1396882

No doubt that Dublin were different class but Westmeath were shockingly naive in their set up.Pat talked before the game about parking the bus but instead went one on one and sure enough went the same way as Armagh and Galway who had similar tactics.We had a few lads out there yesterday who needed protecting instead they were fed to the lions.I'd say Jim Gavin was pleased to win but will have learned nothing new.They will be there or thereabouts and I hope they win it because huge work has been done up there at underage over last 10 years and the players are now there being looked after by a good manager who is allowing them to express themselves as footballers.

Bignumbernine (Westmeath) - Posts: 102 - 02/06/2013 12:21:40    1396886

The mentality of teams like Westmeath is all wrong. Dessie Dolan was on RTE radio last Sunday and was saying everyone else is way behind the top 6 or so and that they don't want to go out and be beaten by Dublin by 20 points etc. Its like he was accepting defeat before the game. Their manager was on about the gulf in class and that the championship structure needs to be looked at etc.

They seem to go into these games treating them as a damage limitation exercise. As bad as we are you wouldn't hear a Meath player saying before a game v Dublin saying 'we don't want to be beaten by 20 points', and after the game Mick O'Dowd would not be giving out about the championship structure, resources, etc. These issues need to be discussed but its not up to current players and managers to be doing it in the middle of the championship.Westmeath are in the qualifiers now he should be talking about that. It's kind of showing he doesn't have much confidence in himself or his team.

And just an example of money and resources, Longford went on a training camp to Portugal, what good did that do them? Westmeath went to Johnstown House in Meath, same place as Donegal used.

ClassApart (Meath) - Posts: 1200 - 02/06/2013 12:23:51    1396888

Bluewave
County: Dublin
Posts: 294

1396881

Hyped up Westmeath half back line? Out half back line is easily our weakest line. Everyone in Westmeath knows that. If anything Sharry was being hyped up and I thought he played well yesterday. I don't even think the other lads should be starting so I'm bit sure where you're getting this hype.

square_ball_69 (Westmeath) - Posts: 826 - 02/06/2013 12:31:59    1396894