Shane McGuigan of Derry is shown a red card by referee David Gough during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Armagh and Derry at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in Armagh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
Derry manager, Paddy Tally, says discipline will be more important than ever for teams after the recent FRC rule enhancement tweak on the three-up rule.
Now if a team loses a player to a red or black card they must retain three players in the opposition half regardless.
Tally’s Derry team found out on Sunday in their Allianz League defeat to Armagh just how difficult it becomes to defend in that situation with one less outfield player in your own half than the opposition.
Shane McGuigan was red-carded after 30 minutes and the Derry defensive floodgates opened in the second-half as Armagh banged in four goals.
“That changed the game completely,” says Tally of McGuigan’s sending off when speaking to the media last night at the Ulster Senior Football Championship launch.
“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 yesterday and for the team. It was tough and hard but if it saves us down the line, we’ll take it.”
Derry manager Paddy Tally during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Armagh and Derry at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in Armagh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.
Tally believes every other team in the country will have taken note and will now drill the importance of discipline all the more because a red-card is now more damaging than ever before.
“Without doubt,” he says. “I think yesterday 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.’ You’re talking to players on the pitch and sometimes you are working on a system where you can move back to do a bit covering but there is no opportunity to cover because if you do, 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.”