Meath still haven’t named their starting team for Sunday but this is understandable, I guess, seeing that most of their attention this week will have been focused on the situation relating to their captain Stephen Bray. His CHC hearing took place at Croke Park last night and the Indo is reporting this morning that the CHC imposed a four-week ban on the Navan O’Mahony’s man for the incident which resulted in his sending-off late in the game against Limerick. Meath still have the option of taking Bray’s case to both the CAC and the DRA (any more three-letter acronyms of appeal while we’re at it?) but they’re apparently unlikely to do so, given the time constraints and the lack of any video evidence which might exonerate their man.
I’d be surprised if they didn’t make every effort to get their captain off the hook so we could yet see an eleventh-hour twist to this particular tale. It’s difficult not to have sympathy with the Meathman: he’s a skillful player who doesn’t have a track record in this area and it seems likely that the incident in question was a case of six of the one and a half dozen of the other. It’s undoubtedly the case that our job on Sunday will be made far easier if Bray isn’t playing but that’s not the point – I’d prefer to see us beat a full-strength Meath side the next day, not one shorn of their inspirational captain in circumstances such as this.
That’s about all there is to report for now, apart from Johnno once again doing his “where did you get the idea that we’re favourites for this one?” routine. Well, I guess he’s nothing if not consistent where it comes to pre-match patter.
I dunno about the rest of you but I think that the lead-in to this game appears to have gone on interminably and it really is time for action now. We’re still down in Banner territory but we’ll be back at base later on tonight and will be straining at the leash to get to HQ on Sunday.
“I’d prefer to see us beat a full-strength Meath side the next day, not one shorn of their inspirational captain in circumstances such as this.”
Can’t agree with you there willie joe , personally i will take all the help we can get to beat Meath , it is solely about winning this quarter final and Bray’s loss is a massive boost to us, we have lost players before and it is no consolation when you lose that your best man was out , it is just an excuse you can trot while inside you are just gutted at the loss.
personally I think any victory against a Meath team is good no matter the team. By the way anyone now of a good (mayo pub preferably that’s reaonably quiet) place to go for a pint in Dublin city North side on saturday nights.
Willie Joe in 1996 they beat us without our best player at the time – McHale, and them without their worst!!
In 2009 lets hope we beat them without their best player, and without the man many have criticised (I don’t agree) as our worst!
Anyone know where this can be watched on t’internet? I’m over in San Fran for work and it’ll be on at 6 AM over here so no chance of getting to any pubs to watch it. Anyone know? Thanks
Found it on the Setanta i player for 14.99, ask not what you can do for your county
Eriad, Coyle may not be the best Meath player but he was inspirational to them over the years, a player mayo rarely produce. Coyle was their Bellew or Mcmenamin. Mchale? personally I could take or leave him, Pat Fallon was a better player. Mchale bottled a few shots at goal in the drawn game and lived of an inflated reputation in his last years.