Donegal…………………..3-26
Meath……………………..0-15
As Amanda Serrano discovered in New York Friday on night occasionally you encounter an opponent that is just too good for you and that’s what Meath ran into on a scorching sunny semi final Sunday when the massed ranks of Royals supporters must have looked at the scoreboard in the forlorn hope its operator had messed up for the second week in a row.
As Meath kept to the formula of long range points with the wind in the first half despite a couple of good ones, too many slipped by, nine by the end of 35 minutes. To their credit they were trying, opportunities to chase down a goal when Jordan Morris try to find a telling passed but read by the stoic defending when he could have taken his point. The loss of Bryan Menton who went over on his ankle didn’t help either.
At half time the score board read 0-13 to 0-8 in favour of Donegal, it could have read a lot more. A great block by Billy Hogan, a challenge by Rafferty as Murphy appeared to have the net at his mercy but lost his balance and went over the bar. Meath went 15 minutes without a score too in the first half until Curtis brought the game to four points. it would edge to five points clear at the horn. The amber lights must have been going off in Robbie Brennan’s mind at halt time. Meath had to find early scores and compete in the second half to have a fighting chance.
Yes there was an element of tactical naivety, no man marker appeared to have been deployed on Michael Murphy, or at least if there was then he was nowhere to be seen as the ace attacker rained over points, and yes there were some woeful wides, but what there wasn’t was excuses.
Early in the second half the phone pinged with a text message, a mate saying, ‘This is getting embarrassing’, to which the only response possible was ‘it is’, and indeed but for some excellent saves by Billy Hogan, it could have been even more so. The suns seemed to send the men from Donegal with vitamin D, that drove them on into turbo gear. Scores came as they pleased, they cut through the Meath who just looked a spent force from the heroics of previous victories.
Sunday, Jul. 13, 2025,
All Ireland SFC Semi Final, Meath v Donegal
at Croke Park, Dublin
Seán Rafferty (Meath) and Shane O`Donnell (Donegal) Photo: David Mullen 2025 www.cyberimages.net
It wasn’t easy for the Meath supporters but they were watching the majestic touches of Jimmy McGuinness management skills. The players were delivering for him on the field and nobody could deny the skill , peed and energy delivered. Three goals and 13 points in the second half to Meath’s seven.
After 45 minutes Donegal had the game in the bag and brought marvelous Murphy into the shade to get ready for the final installment in two weeks time. McGuinness was using the bench now, think of a forthcoming final against Kerry. Meath at this stage were in disarray, there was no way back.
To put it simply Donegal took on Meath at their own game and out Meathed them. Meath’s big wins this summer came via a dogged determination to win breaking ball, yesterday Donegal dominated that sector of the game, something which left the losers defence under almost constant pressure even from their own restarts.
Donegal’s pace was a killer in the searing heat especially so as they were moving as rapidly in the last ten minutes as in the first ten.
It has been noted, and correctly so just how much Meath have progressed this season, in doing so they set themselves a much higher bar in terms of standards of performance, yesterday they never came close to reaching that level. To quote a political maxim, ”much done, more to do.”
Kerry put Tyrone to the sword on Saturday, as they did to their fellow northerner’s, Armagh, a week earlier. Meath sent them on this journey they never really envisaged. Kerry were hurt, wounded by the humiliation of comments by a resurgent Meath team. That can’t be taken away from Brennan’s success this year. Meath are a team on the move in the right direction. As a Meath supporter we will take the loss yesterday and move on.
Whoever wins Sunday week, will be worthy champions but Jack O’Connor & Co will have to flay the third northern team in a row, who have found resurgence with McGuinness & Co.
