Well done Meath.

Fully deserved win - congrats.

I am sure quite a few Meath fans are gutted they didnt go to the game to witness it first hand.

Should be an interesting final now v the old foe..... ;o)

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 4163 - 27/04/2025 22:10:16    2604800

So proud of our team today, for the 1st time in years I felt that we just wanted it more than the opposition. Couple of poor turnovers in the 2nd half aside we died for every ball. Mentions fetch over the sideline but keeping the ball in play signified the team effort. Barry was super Frayne great from the free but they just could not live with Matt Costello. So delighted to be there with my family more Meath fans need to back this team, they deserve our support and Louth are delighted and will think we did the hard work for them. We owe them and a performance like that is the minimum. No point in doing the work for others, let's bring the Delaney Cup back to The Royal County. Still have no voice but to see my kids enjoy that day means the world to me. HON THE ROYALS

RoyalSteel (Meath) - Posts: 20 - 27/04/2025 22:14:42    2604802

Wherever royaldunne is, I genuinely hope he went bananas at that result. Years of optimism from him came good.

Ratoath Royal (Meath) - Posts: 1382 - 27/04/2025 22:25:17    2604808

I came all the way from London to see this game and was not dissapointed! So many deflating days going back on the plane, but all the time knowing that this win would come. Had to go on the field at the end to get a close look at these fellas. There was one young Meath player crying as he was slapped on the back. Great to see the pitch invasion. Id say the emotion and celebratory scenes of it all leaves Louth in a nice phycological space going in, so its a good thing that its two weeks until the final to come back to earth a bit.

On the game itself I cannot remember seeing Meath so utterly dominate a team at midfield like that in years, They operated a clear ball winning strategy, and at times seemed to have up to three intelligently positioned players for breaking ball, you could almost see them run into formation as the ball left the keepers' boot. Having Costello around the middle worked very well.
I was immensely impressed with Billy Hogan today. In the match againsnt Monaghan it looked like he could be rumbled when the pressure came on, but he showed that he is ever still growing into an elite goalkeeper.
There were multiple clutch moments where we really needed to win the ball in defensive positions or had to have clear heads when working the ball around the full back line and it seemed that, at an almost improbable rate, we had a trustworthy player come and do the right thing. I now trust any defensive player that to have a cool head, and if some of the forwards that are not so good at this(when coming back to defend) could be one of the three that stay up, then all the better!
It was encouraging to see James Conlon have such a great a game and embarrassing his marker a few times(he got slap to the face that even a Dublin supporter said should be a straight Red). I think he also hit the post twice(one kick and one hand pass).
Like the defenders, the starting inside forwards each have the calibre to be the star on the day, while the replacements have not yet met their full potential potential, and thus have room for improvement.
Another good sight was Jordan Morris, walking around on the pitch, and if you werent studying his gate, you would hardly notice an injury.
All that being said, in the second half, if we didnt have Costello breaking the lines and Jones coming on when he did and adding in some great driving runs and one utterly dominant fetch over at the stand side when we really needed it, i think we wouldnt have made it over the line today. Some players around the centre we simply cannot do without.
Tommy Durnin is owed some close attention, cant wait to see it. Nothing more bitter than a Meath-Louth game! Hon the Royal!

Kingroyal (Meath) - Posts: 52 - 27/04/2025 23:29:48    2604835

Proudroyal (Meath) - Posts: 335 - 28/04/2025 00:01:21    2604839

Where is nobull? All caps!

cabbage (Meath) - Posts: 170 - 28/04/2025 00:09:40    2604844

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4124 - 28/04/2025 00:10:02    2604845

Today was a great day, a really really great day the likes of which we haven't seen in, well 15 years. The work rate and determination of our players was wonderful to see, the sheer belief another wonderful spectacle. I'll be honest and say I didnt foresee victory, genuinely believed we would put up a fierce battle, but didn't see us winning but they did, and every player on that squad and every member of the management team deserves our thanks and plaudits, today was immense. A huge battle awaits in two weeks, one that should draw near 50k to Croke Park, Louth will be licking their lips but so should we, the oxygen we should get from today will be a massive boost, but work still to be done, but at last we have genuine belief again and a team we can really connect to, thanks to one and all.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3747 - 28/04/2025 02:32:32    2604852

Wow,what a win.Thank you to everyone management and the players.I thought we could give Dublin a rattle but to win like we did wow. What a day.Every player in Green stood up and was counted today.15 years of hurt against the old enemy washed away.In fairness there was a good few Dubs around me but most were very sporting at the end so fair play.What a feeling on the pitch with the players and supporters at the end.Im old school but to see the emotion and joy of lads/ladies under 25 who wouldn't really remember the last time we beat Dublin in the championship was so special and long may it continue.It was like the good auld days and hopefully this is just the start.id love to see the Meath public really get behind them now as they deserve huge support.Meath v Louth Leinster final to look forward to and that should be a cracker.Both teams will fancy it but that's for another day I'm going to enjoy the this victory.Hon the Royal.

Proudroyal (Meath) - Posts: 335 - 28/04/2025 02:35:02    2604853

What a day in Portlaoise yesterday. To a man Meath were absolutely outrageous, the workrate, the shot selection the absolute doggedness was brilliant to see. The way we went after the dubs kickout in the second half was brilliant getting Billy to mark a dublin player. Costello and caufields lung bursting runs got us out of so much trouble and they were absolutely fantastic. It just shows what can happen when you tell a group of players you are good enough and you can do it. Hopefully there will be a big crowd in newbridge on Wednesday for the 20s and meath fans start getting behind their county again.

contributingtoamelee (Meath) - Posts: 66 - 28/04/2025 09:07:35    2604873

Lads, well done on a fantatsic result yesterday. I always admired Meath teams of the past. They were tough, athletic good footballers. I can't have been easy the last 15 years or so with Dublin hoovering up everything in sight. But the GAA needs a strong Meath team. It would be class to see hordes of Meath men, women and children descending on Croke Park like in the past. Good luck in the final.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9736 - 28/04/2025 10:07:26    2604890

royler (Meath) - Posts: 291 - 28/04/2025 10:55:31    2604909

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1275 - 28/04/2025 11:28:07    2604934

contributingtoamelee (Meath) - Posts: 66 - 28/04/2025 11:47:43    2604945

Still on a high...unreal, will stick that one in the memory with 87, 1988, 1991 (dublin x4), 1996, 1999, 1998 (kildare x3), and 2010.

One of meaths best days, im sorry to all the supporters who did not make the trip to portlaoise, oh ye of little faith :0)

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1820 - 28/04/2025 12:28:12    2604967

Best Day Of My Life.

Points76 (Meath) - Posts: 37 - 28/04/2025 14:20:05    2605028

Genuine question. Are Meath actually All Ireland contenders? This is the most open championship in decades with potentially the bravest in footballing terms coming out on top. Football is back and by God that certainly suits Meath just fine.

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 629 - 28/04/2025 14:34:24    2605035

MillerX (Meath) - Posts: 1103 - 28/04/2025 14:34:33    2605036

Let's finish the job now and really sow it into the rest of the country! Nothing has been won yet. Starting with the U20s on Wednesday. Meath owe Louth on so many levels. After the **** they put Meath through after the 2010 game and the last two games against them where they have bullied us. It's time to put them back in their box.

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 1012 - 28/04/2025 14:37:52    2605039

Watched a lot of the game back because I wanted to relive it. Everything you could ever want in a Meath performance. Brilliant heads ups kicking football with the ball and unbelievable aggression and desire without it. James Conlon tormenting the Dub inside backs and still did the dirty stuff like a full length diving stretch to divert a short kickout to a Meath man. Lavin and Rafferty getting brilliant hands in and interceptions. Hogan with 2 huge saves and his kickouts into the wind far better than Cluxtons. Caulfield, Kinsella and Costello so comfortable on the ball under pressure in the second half. Frayne absolutely superb and a captains performance. Walsh, Lynch, Ronan Ryan and Jones huge impact off the bench. And the warhorses Menton and Keoghan with huge interventions at key times. Robbie Brennan said after the game "we really went after defiance". And you could 100% see that. Shoving dubs after scores, Duke leaving a big impact on Paddy Small, Lavin giving John Small a nice dunt leaving the pitch at half time. It was everything I wanted as a Meath supporter and made all the bad days worth it. As somebody not old enough to remember our great days it was so refreshing. Meath don't fear the dubs!

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1568 - 28/04/2025 14:40:57    2605041