Harte and McEntee find a catch in new kickout rule

Neither manager is convinced about some of the new rules

Dylan Hyland of Offaly in action against Evan Lyons of Sligo during the Allianz Football League Division 3 match between Offaly and Sligo at Glenisk O'Connor Park in Tullamore, Offaly. Pic: Matt Browne, Sportsfile

Allianz FL Division 3: Offaly 1-17 Sligo 0-13 

Seven points separated their teams in the end but Mickey Harte and Tony McEntee were singing from the same hymn sheet about Gaelic football’s new rules afterwards.

In his first game as co-manager alongside Declan Kelly, Harte saw his Offaly side turn around a two-point half-time deficit (0-7 to 0-9). They also managed to bludgeon Sligo on their own kick-out in the third quarter having been pummelled on their own restarts late in the first half.

The new rule, insisting all kick-outs clear the 40-metre arc, has led to more contests but on the basis of this game fewer clean catches. Not a good thing, said both managers.

“I don’t know if it does a wild lot for the game,” said Harte. “It just makes everything hustle and bustle in the middle of the field. It’s not giving a lot of clean catches or anything like that. It’s going to make more battles for the ball and if that’s exciting then so be it.”

As much as McEntee wants to reserve judgement on the rules in their entirety, he felt the kick-out change didn’t serve its purpose in Glenisk O’Connor Park. “The rule in the first place was to try and promote high fielding. You’re not going to get that. There are different groups of players in different parts of the field and it’s a mess in all honesty with you.

Sligo manager Tony McEntee. Pic: Matt Browne, Sportsfile

“In the first half, it was a 50-50 split between ourselves and Offaly. I’m not sure what it was in the second half but you were relying on breaking balls. There’s little or no fielding whatsoever and it’s not a rule that needs to be looked at but it’s certainly one we need to get better at. We can’t afford to go from 70%-80% kick-out (retention) down to 50%. It’s just not acceptable.” 

As Football Review Committee chairman Jim Gavin watched on, there was no penalty for breaching the three-up rule, although Sligo forward Alan McLoughlin did stray in the 43rd minute before returning to the Offaly half without referee Chris Maguire noticing.

Harte feels the penalties for contravening the rule are too harsh. “I have no issue with the three up as long as an incidental break of the (halfway) line doesn’t cost you. If it’s just a free from where that happens but I don’t think it should be a free at all. I think it should be a case of if the linesman sees it happening, he tells the player, ‘I’m going to tell the referee to give a free if you don’t go back there.’ 

“I don’t think it deserves a free of any kind. There should be a differentiation between the incidental when a player is following the game and just wanders over and deliberating chasing a player.” 

Sligo substitute Niall Murphy was the only two-point scorer but the cold wind cutting across the Tullamore field made it a difficult day for kickers. “We haven’t done an awful lot of work in trying to get those two-point efforts,” reported McEntee. “They are a difficult enough skill. We had three or four chances today and only got one.

“I don’t think it’s going to turn the game around in the way people thought it was going to and if you look at last night’s game (in Salthill) there was only one two-point score (from play) from Paul Conroy. I don’t see it being a game-changer.” 

Offaly joint manager Mickey Harte. Pic: Matt Browne, Sportsfile

Of all the alterations, McEntee is most uncertain about the dissent one and a player having to hand the ball to an opponent after conceding a free or risk the kick being brought forward 50 metres. “We had an example today in the second half where Offaly just didn’t take the full opportunity. We handed the ball back to the player and they’d a man inside with 50 yards of space.

“I think the rule is one we’re going to have to look at because I’m not sure it’s working as well as it is intended. There’s a number of them that need tweaking but we’ve got to give them a chance.” 

Harte is not as opposed to the dissent change as he is others. “They believe it’s in for a reason to put that kind of behaviour out of the game and it probably will look harsh in the early stages. But if there’s less of the yapping I’m sure referees will be very happy with that and people will come to accept it’s too costly.” 

Harte was naturally pleased with how his Keith O’Neill-inspired side pushed on in the second half. Ruairi McNamee’s goal in the 54th minute sent them on their way to punishing a profligate Sligo.

“They’re enthusiastic, they’re putting in a huge effort. I’m really pleased that this was a good result for them because they have put in a huge amount of work since they came back and if they got a bad result they would be questioning the belief in themselves and the work they have put with it.” 

In a game where they kicked 15 wides, nine of them in the second half, McEntee lamented a third consecutive opening league defeat for Sligo. “We’ve learned nothing in the three years,” he said of their poor league starts. “I would say at this stage that our ability to get promoted out of Division 3 is very little. We need now to knuckle down now and get a result against a good Kildare team and the many other good teams in this division.” 

Scorers for Offaly: K. O’Neill (0-6, 1 free); D. Hyland (0-4, 2 frees); R. McNamee (1-1); P. Dunican (0-2); C. Flynn, S. Tierney, N. Dunne, R. Egan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Sligo: P. O’Connor (0-5, 2 frees); N. Murphy (0-3, 1 tp); A. McLoughlin (1 free), A. Reilly (0-2 each); C. Lally (0-1).

OFFALY: P. Dunican; L. Pearson (c), D. Dempsey, R. Egan; M. Dalton, C. Egan, D. Egan; J. McEvoy, J. Hayes; R. McNamee, C. Flynn, K. O’Neill; D. Hyland, J. Bryant, E. Sawyer.

Subs: C. Burke for M. Dalton (h-t); S. Tierney for J. Bryant (54); N. Dunne for E. Sawyer (63); C. Higgins for D. Egan (68); C. Donoghue for R. McNamee (70+1).

SLIGO: A. Devaney; P. McNamara, E. McGuinness, E. Lyons; B. Cox, J. Lavin, L. Casserly; C. Mulligan (c), P. Kilcoyne; C. Lally, A. McLoughlin, E. Smith; A. Reilly, P. O’Connor, P. Spillane.

Subs: L. Deignan for E. Smith (h-t); R. Sloyan for L. Casserly, N. Murphy for P. Spillane (both 52); L. Towey for J. Lavin (65); O. Flynn for C. Lally (66).

Referee: C. Maguire (Clare).