Rule tweak made Shane McGuigan red card 'a massive learning experience' for Derry

"It’s the first time it happened in a Division 1 game and now everyone has seen it," Derry manager Paddy Tally said about McGuigan's red card. "I think any manager looking it is saying, ‘Jesus, this changes everything.’"

Derry lost Shane McGuigan to a red card in the first half against Armagh. They subsequently conceded four goals after the break, losing by 15 points. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Derry manager Paddy Tally predicts red cards will have greater impacts on the outcome of games because of the recent tweak to the three-up rule.

Since Round 6 of the Allianz Football League the weekend before last, teams have had to retain three players in the opposition’s half of the field irrespective of how many players they have on the field.

Derry found that to their cost when they lost Shane McGuigan to a double bookable sending-off offence towards the end of the first half against Armagh on Sunday.

Derry conceded four second-half goals and ended up losing by 15 points and former Kerry coach Tally said his team’s numerical disadvantage took a greater toll than ever before.

“Even the fact that Shane [McGuigan] got sent off, that changed the game completely,” he said. “Since the rule changed that you have to keep three up, we’ve now discovered that if you lose a player in a game, it really is going to affect your entire structure.

“It used to be that if you lost a player, you could bring somebody back or you’d leave one man up and you’d bring everybody back. Now, you have 11 versus 10 inside a massive area and when a team like Armagh gets a run on us and an extra player coming through, you couldn’t plug holes, you couldn’t fill gaps, it was an avalanche.

“I think that to me was a massive learning experience and for the team. It was tough and hard but if it saves us down the line, we’ll take it.” 

As Derry count the cost of a lengthy injury list including Odhrán Lynch and Anton Tohill ahead of facing Donegal in Sunday week’s Ulster SFC preliminary round game, Tally is in no doubt counties will be putting more of an emphasis on discipline.

“Without doubt. I think yesterday [Sunday] was the example. It’s the first time it happened in a Division 1 game and now everyone has seen it. I think any manager looking it is saying, ‘Jesus, this changes everything.’ 

“Sometimes you are working on a system where you can move back to do a bit of covering but there is no opportunity to cover because if you’re leaving two men free and there are going to be scores coming from everywhere.

“I think the sending off, discipline-wise, is going to be crucial. You can argue whether it warranted two yellow cards, it doesn’t matter. The fact was they were there and from hereon in I think people will be very aware of that.”