Meath Forum

Meath V Westmeath 2015

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Replying To royaldunne:  "All accurate points.
Just totally moving to another thing. What do people think on league outcomes? Will we be playing in division 1 next year ???"
We really shouldn't be playing in Div.1 next year RD. Iv'e seen yourself and others saying this season's league ought to be marked out as null and void, maintaining our spot in Division 1 in such an instance. Of course its an extra year with the big dogs, but we all have to get real about the reality of our current position; I personally don't see the value in supporting that view point considering the run we had in our last 6/8 games, all losses. I mean the horse has bolted, lots of positive performances and maybe in a game or two here or there a lost opportunity at a win but that's the height of it for positives, lots of moral victories, good building for our team and our management, but ultimately we are short of being a consistent outfit for division one. We don't have the depth, the forwards, midfield, the physical strength anywhere bar the back 7, we don't have natural ball winners up front, we are lateral, meticulous, and too laboured in our attack. We have an issue with place kickers and an un-rectified issue with the goalkeeper. Our natural position within the order is division 2, and I hate to be pessimistic and negative but I fear other division 2 teams are breathing right down our necks.

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 13/05/2020 22:16:43    2278090

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Replying To Young_gael:  "We really shouldn't be playing in Div.1 next year RD. Iv'e seen yourself and others saying this season's league ought to be marked out as null and void, maintaining our spot in Division 1 in such an instance. Of course its an extra year with the big dogs, but we all have to get real about the reality of our current position; I personally don't see the value in supporting that view point considering the run we had in our last 6/8 games, all losses. I mean the horse has bolted, lots of positive performances and maybe in a game or two here or there a lost opportunity at a win but that's the height of it for positives, lots of moral victories, good building for our team and our management, but ultimately we are short of being a consistent outfit for division one. We don't have the depth, the forwards, midfield, the physical strength anywhere bar the back 7, we don't have natural ball winners up front, we are lateral, meticulous, and too laboured in our attack. We have an issue with place kickers and an un-rectified issue with the goalkeeper. Our natural position within the order is division 2, and I hate to be pessimistic and negative but I fear other division 2 teams are breathing right down our necks."
I disagree, if we had been rightly stuffed in most of the 5 games then well and good but we weren't, Donegal was the only real poor showing, and the team could have achieved results in the other four games if a small bit of luck, cuteness, accuracy and different decision making was employed, the vast majority of mistakes that were made this year are remedied by hard work and gaining experience, look we haven't played Division 1 in 14 years prior to this year and the amount of top level teams we have played in the championship in that same time has been relatively scant. Division 2 is nothing short of a crazy bitch fight which has proved to be wholly unpredictable in recent years and not overly laden in quality, you don't learn to be a top team there and being honest I think we are much better than that, we aren't a kick in the arse away from the likes of Mayo, Monaghan, Tyrone at this present time and even Galway and Kerry on our day as was proved but we badly need the experience of these games and the only place we will improve is in Division 1, I will not feel one bit guilty if we get another shot at it next year as being honest we have got feck all breaks in recent years in my view and if we get just one, being Division 1 football next year, it could make a real difference. I believe there is more in this squad than what we have seen so far and if we can battle our way to a win over one of the supposed bigger guns I think it could do wonders for the teams development and confidence, genuine opinion.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 13/05/2020 22:44:04    2278092

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Replying To royaldunne:  "All accurate points.
Just totally moving to another thing. What do people think on league outcomes? Will we be playing in division 1 next year ???"
We dont deserve to be playing in Div One next year, had our chance and found wanting, would be unfair on several teams in Div 2 if season is declared null and void. Thankfully you dont always get what you deserve, we might get another chance and it could be the break we need. Hopefully injuries will have cleared up, it will be much more difficult for lads to go abroad to study or play in the States (I know its the same for all teams but we seem to suffer more than most in this area) and everyone concerned will have learned the harsh lessons of last campaign, too many mistakes made on and off the field.
Difficult to see how league season can be finished, especially if some sort of championship goes ahead this year, which may not finish until Feb/March 2021.
If championship does not go ahead then there may be an option to play last two rounds later in year or very early next year, just to decide promotion and relegation, no finals.
Its all speculation at this stage, but it helps pass in the evening

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2133 - 14/05/2020 19:27:12    2278168

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Couple of points on the league thing , and I don't want to derail the other debate which is a excellent one. On the scenarios I've heard been mentioned.
1, if we were to finish the last two games , what would the value be in putting out a full strength team against dubs and Monaghan? We could injure players for a league two campaign only weeks away (the idea is that the remaining games would be played off with the obc been cancelled, then straight into new league) . In that scenario where we might not play full strength team , surely would relegate Mayo with us.
2, call the leagues as they are, up down depending on where u are after the games already played. Again that would cause a lot of annoyance (again wouldn't affect us one way or the other ).
3, mark them null and void. Would it be fair on those in div 2 and indeed lower divisions? No. That been said I think it could be very beneficial to Meath going forward, another year (lees injuries to key players) etc. I think it would do us the world of good. No solution is ideal at this stage, assuming that it's 21 when we see ball again, listening to sg last week I think the call will be made in July regarding league. And leaving all bias aside I think they will mark them null and void by the vibes john was giving out. Could be completely wrong but that's my reading on it.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 15/05/2020 19:53:44    2278296

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Looking back at that match which my westmeath friends continue to 'celebrate'. There is a tendancy to look at the result without what was behind it. It is not unusual these days to have to cope with an injury list, but injuries usually were across the board. All the big players (in size) that day were injured or carrying injuries and not therefore lasting full game, That ruins a teams balance of abilities and it was unusual that Meath should go ahead as they did but it did go against them .add to that a few bad errors by players having a bad day and refereeing misses let westmeath through. I was at that match and came home seeing it as not an indication of anything performance wise or potential wise. Where did Westmeath go since, Are they still celebrating one wonders

Ashrules (Dublin) - Posts: 518 - 19/05/2020 12:24:01    2278688

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This topic has generated a lot of debate, not always on the topic, a lot of history and interpretation of that same history, but I have not seen anybody mention the previous round in 2015. Who did we play in the first round? Answer: Wicklow in Navan. And the warning signs were loud and clear that day, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that if the Wicklow game has gone on for another two minutes we could very easily been stuffed, ironic? Then the 100% record v Westmeath may still be intact, we had already lost our 100% record v Wicklow in the early 60s.

MillerX (Meath) - Posts: 1061 - 19/05/2020 16:37:20    2278719

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Replying To MillerX:  "This topic has generated a lot of debate, not always on the topic, a lot of history and interpretation of that same history, but I have not seen anybody mention the previous round in 2015. Who did we play in the first round? Answer: Wicklow in Navan. And the warning signs were loud and clear that day, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that if the Wicklow game has gone on for another two minutes we could very easily been stuffed, ironic? Then the 100% record v Westmeath may still be intact, we had already lost our 100% record v Wicklow in the early 60s."
Meath lost their unbeaten championship record against Wicklow in the wonderful year of 1957. The only other time that Meath did not beat Wicklow was in 1991 when it was a draw match.

Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 781 - 20/05/2020 11:25:15    2278789

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Replying To Ollie2:  "Meath lost their unbeaten championship record against Wicklow in the wonderful year of 1957. The only other time that Meath did not beat Wicklow was in 1991 when it was a draw match."
Funny ending to that Wicklow drawn game.
Bernard Flynn kicked the ball and while it was in the air and before it went over the bar the referee blew the final whistle meaning instead of the game ending in a 1 point win for Meath the game ended in a draw.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1332 - 21/05/2020 09:27:01    2278895

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Replying To bdbuddah:  "Funny ending to that Wicklow drawn game.
Bernard Flynn kicked the ball and while it was in the air and before it went over the bar the referee blew the final whistle meaning instead of the game ending in a 1 point win for Meath the game ended in a draw."
Here it is, look at the head of the umpire waving it wide, and he on the wrong side, not a lover of that Meath team methinks

https://youtu.be/lchY8hbKYg8

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 22/05/2020 12:33:18    2278981

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Replying To bdbuddah:  "Funny ending to that Wicklow drawn game.
Bernard Flynn kicked the ball and while it was in the air and before it went over the bar the referee blew the final whistle meaning instead of the game ending in a 1 point win for Meath the game ended in a draw."
That match was part of a double bill in Croke Park with Louth and Laois the one with the big brawl. 1991 was the year of the draw. You had the Dubs v Meath, Meath v Wicklow, Louth v Laois, Mayo v Roscommon and Derry v Down. Some great matches indeed.

Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 781 - 22/05/2020 14:31:40    2278986

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Replying To Richieq:  "Here it is, look at the head of the umpire waving it wide, and he on the wrong side, not a lover of that Meath team methinks

https://youtu.be/lchY8hbKYg8"
As O'Rourke talked about in the interview near the end of the video, the confusion happened at the end of this match because one umpire saw the ball going over the bar and called for a point while the other umpire realised that the referee had blown the final whistle so would not out up his flag for the point. The live commentary were the same as everyone in the stadium, it never dawned on them a referee would blow his final whistle after letting the attack develop and just as the point was about to be scored. Mad stuff by the referee, most blatant case you could see of playing for a draw.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1332 - 22/05/2020 23:45:17    2279030

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Replying To bdbuddah:  "As O'Rourke talked about in the interview near the end of the video, the confusion happened at the end of this match because one umpire saw the ball going over the bar and called for a point while the other umpire realised that the referee had blown the final whistle so would not out up his flag for the point. The live commentary were the same as everyone in the stadium, it never dawned on them a referee would blow his final whistle after letting the attack develop and just as the point was about to be scored. Mad stuff by the referee, most blatant case you could see of playing for a draw."
You know something I don't think the linesman knew f@@k all about a whistle he was waving it wide, if the ref made a mistake he wasn't going to, that game was ending in a draw no matter what.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 23/05/2020 16:11:22    2279067

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