Meath v Galway player ratings as Royals continue to stick it to the doubters

Irish Daily Mirror

6 hours ago

In any other year, beating Dublin, Kerry, Cork and now Galway in the Championship would probably mean you've won the All-Ireland.
That's what Meath have done but the summer's dark horses still have two steps to go before they can call themselves champions for the first time since 1999.
Truth be told, few will still give them a chance of lifting Sam but it certainly doesn't seem so outlandish anymore.
Robbie Brennan's crew continue to stick it to the doubters and have a 'genius' performer in attacker Jordan Morris who hit Galway for 1-6, all from play. Croke Park was rocking to his scores on a landmark day for a county that won the Tailteann Cup just two years ago.
Mathew Costello's return to full fitness was vital for the charged up Leinster finalists too. The Dunshaughlin man struck four points and patched together so much of the team's positive play.
Bryan Menton, who along with the excellent Seamus Lavin was plucked from apparent retirement this year, provided some huge moments too.
And boss Brennan was gushing with praise for full-back Sean Rafferty and centre-forward Ruairi Kinsella, claiming they're both shoo-ins for All-Stars.
What's certain is that this is a high skilled, dynamic and confident Meath team, playing with the belief that they appeared to lack in previous years.
And they had to win this quarter-final twice after watching their six-point lead midway through the second-half turn into a three-point deficit.
Galway reeled off 2-3 without response to leave themselves sitting pretty at the hour mark - and apparently destined for the last four.
That's when Morris really came alive, blasting 1-2 in the closing minutes to secure Meath's first semi-final place since 2009.
"I keep saying it, there's a touch of genius about Jordan," said Brennan. "I've referenced before the likes of Shane Walsh for Galway, who was out there playing, and maybe Paul Mannion too having worked with these guys.
"But Jordan is absolutely in that category. He is impossible to mark at times, literally impossible to mark. At other times he might have a turnover and lose the ball but they're what we call creative turnovers. You're allowed to have them when you're that type of player.
"Even at half-time, I spoke to Jordan. We were saying, 'Keep on trying for it, keep on trying it' because we knew what he has, that ability, and we knew it would come good for him eventually. And he showed it in the second-half there. He's just unreal. He can't be stopped when he's in form like that."
Brennan has brought that missing belief to a Meath side that struggled badly under Colm O'Rourke last year.
They played five Championship games in 2024 and lost the last four. Dublin and Kerry hammered them last year and Monaghan knocked them out of the Championship.
But all of those teams have been eliminated from this year's race for Sam while Meath are still standing - and daring to dream.
Brennan threw it back on the players and said their stunning form and huge fitness reserves have made it possible.
Brennan beamed: "We backed our fitness. I knew we'd run all day with the work that David Drake and the S&C lads had done with them. I knew we could keep going no matter what the temperature, the humidity, that they'd be able to just keep going and going and going.
"And then we had a brilliant impact off the bench as well. So all round I think a top-notch performance."
Even Brennan would accept that Meath made mistakes though, particularly in the first-half.
Costello spilled a routine possession, gifting the ball back to Galway, and Ciaran Caulfield kicked a free straight out over the sideline. He was aiming at Ronan Ryan but a 4/3 breach would have occurred if he'd collected the ball.
But Meath were still more direct and attack-minded generally, whilst Galway slowed up the play with ponderous attacks. Shane Walsh was fit to start, overcoming a shoulder problem, but was well marshalled by Rafferty and drilled two first-half wides.
Galway finished the half strongly to lead 0-7 to 0-6 at the interval before returning to Meath's slipstream throughout the third quarter.
Costello and Morris split five points between them after the restart before substitute Conor Gray capped a speedy breakaway with Meath's first goal.
Galway felt Daniel O'Flaherty was fouled but Martin McNally waved play on and Sean Coffey kick-passed long to Gray who barrelled through the defence before netting.
Gray was involved in some big plays in the final 25 minutes or so and will hope he has done enough to push Adam O'Neill out of the team.
Morris thumped the air in delight as Meath roared 1-12 to 0-9 clear but their six-point lead was a short lived thing.
Walsh drilled a two-pointer for Galway, getting them going. Then Rob Finnerty played in McDaid for a Galway goal and Silke grabbed another four minutes later.
Suddenly, Meath trailed by 1-12 to 2-12 and looked to have succumbed to Connacht champions Galway's quality and big-game experience.
But the last Leinster team left in the Championship had stored up one final kick for the last lap of an incredible race.
Morris' 62nd minute goal was a beauty, expertly set up by Costello's quick hands for a close range finish.
Captain Eoghan Frayne and Cathal Hickey sniped important late points too as Meath kept the flag flying for Division 2 teams in the Championship.
Billy HOGAN 7
Seamus LAVIN 8
Sean RAFFERTY 8
Ronan RYAN 7
Donal KEOGAN (0-1) 8
Sean COFFEY (0-1) 7
Ciaran CAULFIELD 7
Bryan MENTON (0-1) 8
Adam O'NEILL 7
Conor DUKE 7
Ruairi KINSELLA (0-1) 8
Mathew COSTELLO (0-4, 1f) 8
Jordan MORRIS (1-6) 9
Keith CURTIS 6
Eoghan FRAYNE (0-1) 6
SUBS: Cathal Hickey (0-1) 7 for Curtis 42 mins, Conor Gray (1-0) 8 for O'Neill 46 mins, Brian O'Halloran 6 for Rafferty 55 mins, Rafferty for Lavin 61 mins, Eoin Harkin 6 for Duke 64 mins - f/t, blood.
Connor GLEESON 7
Sean FITZGERALD 7
Johnny MCGRATH 6
Jack GLYNN 6
Dylan MCHUGH 6
Liam SILKE (1-0) 7
Cian HERNON 6
Peter COOKE 6
John MAHER (0-1) 7
Cein DARCY 6
Matthew TIERNEY (0-2) 6
Sean KELLY (0-1) 6
Rob FINNERTY (0-3, 2f) 7
Shane WALSH (0-5, 1 tpf, 1 tp) 7
Matthew THOMPSON (0-2) 7
SUBS: Paul Conroy 6 for Hernon 42 mins, Cillian McDaid (1-0) 7 for Cooke 44 mins, Daniel O'Flaherty 6 for McHugh 51 mins, Damien Comer (0-1) 7 for Tierney 51 mins, Kieran Molloy 6 for Kelly 64 mins.