The 37-point defeat at the hands of Dublin in the Leinster U21 FC illustrates the gulf that exists between counties at underage level, according to Carlow chairman Michael Meaney.

"It was a reflection on the massive gulf between the two counties at underage level," he said in today's Irish Examiner.

"You're talking about Dublin having 25 times the population of Carlow. For the 30,000 we've to pick a panel from, they've to get just one player.

"They just have the size, the strength and the numbers so that they can be selective with who they work with and their guys are into this from an early age right up through development squads.

"It's not just Carlow - it has become a huge issue for a lot of Leinster counties, the so-called weaker ones, to compete with the likes of Dublin. You have some chance at senior level because you're picking players over a range of 13 years or so, 20 to 33, but when you're picking guys from one or two ages, it's just a huge issue. It's not a level playing field."

Meaney claimed that Tuesday night's mis-match should act as a wake up call for GAA chiefs and he suggested that a seeding system, similar to the one in operation in the senior championship, should be introduced to the competition.

"The other teams outside the four semi-finalists would at least have some advantage in having a win. They probably wouldn't beat a team like Dublin but they'd have a bit of momentum going into the game.

"Something has to be done because that game in Parnell Park neither did Carlow or Dublin any good." Tweet

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