Can,t have a double header Saturday evening. As far as i'm aware Castletown have a lad or two playing for the tones in the semi final of the IFC Saturday evening. Typical of the fixtures crew you don't play a game for months then are expected to play in two semi finals in the space of 24 hours.

PI (Meath) - Posts: 7 - 01/10/2012 15:59:49    1275807

Would I be correct in saying that so far in the 2012 Championship there hasn't been one IFC game on in Pairc Tailteann?

If true, it seems unfair to me. How on earth was the Ballinabrackey vs St.Michael's game on in Cortown of all places. I heard they didn't even have a back net behind one of the goals to stop the ball going out into the field!

The two semi finals should definitely be on this Saturday evening as a double header in Navan. I would like to see both games but I'm not going to pay €10 in to each game on Sunday though.

For what it's worth, I fancy Na Fianna to get the better of Castletown. The big pitch in Trim seems to suit them and they have a knack of getting at least a couple of goals a game from their inside forward line. Castletown don't tend to score a lot and will be hoping to keep a clean sheet and sneak it at the other end.
Verdict: Na Fianna by 5

I'm finding the other game very tough to call. Ballinabrackey have a good, young, small side and D Carroll seems to be playing very well for them at 11. Their defence has been very tight in all the games so far and if they don't let the occasion get the better of them then they have a hell of a chance.
Trim on the other hand have a relatively old side but from what I have heard from people close to their camp is that there is a lot more to come from the town side. They are unbeaten in their group (as are Bracks) and by all accounts they were a lot more comfortable wins than the scorelines suggested. Former Meath goalie Brendan Murphy has been training them since last December and seems to have got them fitter thanm they have been in a good few years.
Lots of relegeted teams have tried to bounce straight back up after being relegated from senior since it came into play around 2000 but they all have fallen down somewhere along the way.
Verdict: Draw!

StoneWall (Meath) - Posts: 34 - 01/10/2012 16:21:03    1275831

Plus Cortown is only a ten minute spin from Carlanstown while it would have been a good 40 mins for most Ballinabrackey people. Bizarre choice of venue

Crawley_JuniorD (Meath) - Posts: 211 - 01/10/2012 19:35:41    1276016

how an intermediate hurling championship with a few teams in it is not played off at this stage and out of the way is beyond me. Its bad enough to have players playing hurling the week before you play but the day before is ridiculous. very unfair on castletown.

johnsee (Meath) - Posts: 389 - 01/10/2012 19:48:04    1276025

The nets missing behind the goals was one thing, but the state of the pitch was more concerning.
The pitch was very boggy throughout, places on the pitch were very swampy and had resemblements of an A league game on on a winters evening. An absolutely terrible decision to play the game on these grounds. All the pitches in the county to choose, and this is the reward players get for a quarter final stage? No disrespect to Cortown GFC, whos officials were most obliging throughout and the pitch was freshly cut and in the best nic it could be in. Baffled by this one to be honest.

tackleberry (Meath) - Posts: 324 - 02/10/2012 15:55:11    1276561

Some of the decisions they've made this year in regards to where the games are played are baffling. Cortown the other night terrible choice I for one thought it supposed to be kinda in the middle of the two clubs. I think they treat the intermediate clubs with absolutely no respect. It wouldnt surprise me at all if the final was in one of the semi final venues.

PI (Meath) - Posts: 7 - 02/10/2012 18:02:13    1276690

PI


More madness this week. Castletown vs Na Fianna in Trim is fair enough but Trim vs Ballinabrackey in the neutral venue of Dunsany???

I don't know how you go from Trim to Ballinabrakey via Dunsany. This game should be in Longwood which is roughly in the middle. Ballinabrakey draw the short straw here, it must be a 40-50 minute drive for them to Dunsany compared to the 10-15 minute journey Trim will have.

Loinne (Meath) - Posts: 61 - 03/10/2012 09:50:42    1276949

Loinne
I think if anyone drew the short straw its Castletown, sure its nowhere near Trim. Na Fianna are only up the road.
Both games should be in Pairc Tailteann full stop. no compromise. The pitch is the county ground for a reason. About time the county board started treating the clubs with more respect.

tackleberry (Meath) - Posts: 324 - 03/10/2012 10:03:32    1276958

None gives a dam where the game is once they win

missingjerseys (Meath) - Posts: 36 - 03/10/2012 10:25:49    1276975

What is a disgrace is having Gerry Farrelly the captain of both Wolfe Tones HC and Castleown having to play both semi finals Saturday and Sunday. Where is the respect there. It is an utter disgrace. Why not play the Castletown semi next weekend. What difference does it make. The final still stands for 21st.

MinorStar (Meath) - Posts: 294 - 03/10/2012 13:39:19    1277152

Minorstar

You are absolutely bang on, its an utter disgrace. The county board should be helping dual players within the county and not basically punishing them for being successful at both codes. Something like only 20 hours between the 2 matches, its not on.

boeder (Meath) - Posts: 59 - 03/10/2012 14:22:24    1277199

The whole setup is a joke. You have Gerry Farrelly playing 2 important games in 2 days and they to add insult to injury, Castletown have to trek all the way up to Trim - The far end of the county!! The county board needs to cop on and sort themselves out!

barmatt92 (Meath) - Posts: 19 - 03/10/2012 14:25:35    1277205

The man that's over the fixtures is not even a Meath man and does not know the lie of the land as his fixtures can confirm.Here are some examples,Meath hill v Don/Ash at St Pats Stamullen, Tones v Sench In Cortown,St Michaels v Ballinabrackey in Cortown,They are only a couple of the many Cockup's also Why did the Tones or intermediate teams not get to play in pairc tailteann.

jake1 (Meath) - Posts: 268 - 03/10/2012 15:06:00    1277251

GOOGLE EARTH
Ballinabrackey to Dunsany - 54mins
Trim to Dunsany - 12mins
Enfield to Trim - 22mins
Castletown to Trim - 44mins

There goes my theory on middle of two parishes. At least I wont have a long drive to the second game. The Castletown lads who are playing in both games would be better off staying in Trim that night. I wonder could anyone send a link of google earth to that fixture man when he's out of school.

PI (Meath) - Posts: 7 - 03/10/2012 16:54:43    1277398

Quite bizarre the way they're fixing matches this year, if i remember correctly, last years quarter and semi finals were in navan. The only intermediate game in headquarters so far this year has been St Michaels and Syddan

Crawley_JuniorD (Meath) - Posts: 211 - 03/10/2012 19:09:59    1277494

To Barmatt92.
"Trim, the far end of the county"????. Are you for real. Trim is an excellent venue for this game. More like Castletown is the arse end of the county, do ya's even have cars up there yet or will ya's be cycling down on the highnellies, oh and don't forget to get your saorview box as sky or ntl hasn't found ye yet!!!! CB must be saving the Pairc Tailteann pitch for county finals coming up, can't be any other reason.

Jubilee.Express (Meath) - Posts: 32 - 03/10/2012 20:31:46    1277538

just looking at the semi final line up this weekend me personally i think it will be a repeat of the first group game . I think castletown will have too much momentum and na fianna havnt been pushed yet.........between trim nd ballinabrackey i feel the ballinabrackey lads will have they fitness to push on and win this in the last few minutes

123anmhi123 (Meath) - Posts: 22 - 07/10/2012 10:44:18    1279358

I'm sorry but I can't c how lads could have tipped Castletown they have some ok players but some seriously unfit 4 that level. Na fianna deserved winners put will need 2 finish teams of better when in control

Header33 (Meath) - Posts: 233 - 07/10/2012 16:08:55    1279510

Trim have the hunger in them to get back into the senior championship

larkin17 (Meath) - Posts: 6 - 07/10/2012 18:48:38    1279587

Best of luck to Na Fianna & Trim in the Final,after watching both games yesterday its hard to call,two very different types of teams but i think Trim will be too physical and experienced for Na Fianna.Trim by a whisker.

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1146 - 08/10/2012 09:36:48    1279768