Malachy O'Rourke believes new rules will create more space for forwards as conditions improve

NEW RULES: Tyrone's Eoin McElholm and Derry’s Cormac Murphy. Picture: ©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty

Allianz NFL Division One: Tyrone 2-13 (2-1-11) Derry 1-9 (1-1-7)

New Tyrone boss Malachy O’Rourke believes gaelic football’s new rules will begin to transform the game when pitches dry up and the ball moves faster.

Following his side’s late surge to overcome Derry in the opening Allianz League Division One tie, O’Rourke, a member of the Football Review Committee which devised the new regulations, called for patience and a reluctance to rush to judgement.

“I do honestly think that as the year goes on there definitely is more space for forwards to operate in,” he said.

“It is different and people will take a wee bit of time to get used to it. But I think a lot of these games were played in the same conditions as last year they're not going to be a great spectacle.

“Teams will still get back and defend their own goals but they can only take 11 outfield players back. So I think it will open up that way.”

“When you're coming out with the ball, you have that option of players in front of you which wasn't always the case last year either.

“It creates more one v one contests and that's what people want as well. But I suppose through time it'll be tweaked and we'll see what's working and what's not.” 

But Paddy Tally, also taking his bow as Derry manager, believes the FRC should have moved to curtail the role of the goalkeeper.

Tyrone’s Niall Morgan was a constant presence high up the field, adding and extra man to the Red Hand press at O’Neills Healy Park.

“The twelfth man is killing the game, it’s as simple as that,” said Tally.

“That is no slight on any particular goalkeeper. Niall is a fantastic ‘keeper but it doesn’t make any sense.

“You wanted one to one battles and there were periods in that game today when the ball was just going back and forth across the field for two, three minutes at a time.

“It’s just a pointless rule. It doesn’t make any sense that you are now at the stage where it is nearly unfair to 11 versus 11, to add in a twelfth. It just doesn’t make any sense. The goalkeeper contributing and coming up the field, it is something we have to look at.” 

And after seeing his ide penalised on three first half occasions for failing to hand the ball back to an opponent for a free kick, Tally was scathing in his criticism of the 50 metre punishment, one of which gave the Red Hands a tap-over 13 metre free.

“It doesn’t seem natural. I think it’s a very draconian punishment for something so simple at times.

“There was one there I don’t know if the ball was even touched on the ground and knocked away, the players weren’t too sure what it was for, and it was brought up 50 metres. so I think it’s a hard one on players.” 

Derry’s lively start saw Brendan Rogers kick one of only two long range two-pointers that the game produced to ease his side three ahead, but the home side, playing into the wind, settled to take the lead 23 minutes in through Darren McCurry.

Dominant through Brian Kennedy in the battle for possession from Oak Leaf kick-outs, the Red Hands struck for a goal on the half-hour, a fine solo effort and equally delightful finish from wing back Michael McKernan, one of his side’s outstanding performers on the day.

Niall Devlin sent Tyrone in with a 1-7 to 0-6 interval lead, but the neighbours from across the Sperrins made a stunning start to the second half with a thunderous Conor Glass finish to the roof of the net, before Shane McGuigan brought them level.

Committing more men forward, they had the home defence under sustained pressure, and two more McGuigan scores edged Derry in front by the 50th minute, Tyrone managing just one score in the third quarter.

But a scrambled goal from full back Peter Teague sparked a Red Hand flourish as they hit 1-4 without reply in the final 12 minutes.

Eoin McElholm, recently pursued by AFL clubs, came off the bench to stroke over a couple of scores, while Mattie Donnelly and McCurry, with a two-pointer, finished the job off.

Scorers for Tyrone: M McKernan 1-2, P Teague 1-00, D McCurry 0-3 (1 2pt), M Donnelly, E McElholm 0-2 each, B Kennedy, S O’Hare, N Devlin, R Cassidy (f) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Derry: C Glass 1-0, S McGuigan 0-4 (2f), B Rogers 0-2 (1 2pt), P Cassidy, C McFaul, E Doherty 0-1 each.

TYRONE: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan, F Burns, S O’Hare; B Kennedy, L Gray; S O’Donnell, K McGeary, C Daly; D McCurry, M Donnelly, R Cassidy.

Subs: C Kilpatrick for Gray (47) E McElholm for Cassidy (47), R Brennan for Burns (58), B Cullen for O’Hare (66), M Bradley for Donnelly (70) DERRY: O Lynch; D Baker, E McEvoy, D Gilmore; C Doherty, B Rogers, D Cassidy; C Glass, A Tohill; E Doherty, C McFaul, P Cassidy; N Toner, S McGuigan, L Murray.

Subs: B McCarron for McFaul (43), C Murphy for Toner (53), C McGrogan for P Cassidy (66), M Doherty for D Cassidy (66) 

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).