It wasn’t earth-shattering, just different, at Haggardstown for McGeough Cup tie

The earth didn’t move at Haggardstown on Saturday evening. Louth and Fermanagh both fielded fifteen for the McGeough Cup tie, there were lots of points and a couple of goals, and, as usual, play lasted a little over an hour. But it was different.

This was a new rules game, giving a fine turn-out an idea of what it’s going to be like in the upcoming National League.

It was one of a number of games the Louth team have had in recent weeks in preparation for a competition in which they’ll be defending a decent recent-year record.

Among other games Ger Brennan and his sideline crew have overseen was one against Tyrone. There was a couple against Dublin teams after that, and just a little over a week ago, Jim McGuinness brought his Donegal side to Haggardstown.

There was only a handful present for that latter match. For those who were there, the first question they were asked: was Michael Murphy playing? If the answer had been ‘yes’, the next question would have been: “Did he play in goals?”

The big man didn’t, in fact, turn out due to injury. Therefore, it won’t be until Donegal play their first league game that it will be known how McGuinness employs one of the best full-forwards of recent times, who, having sat on the committee which drew up the new rules, caused a surprise when he came out of retirement last year.

The idea of Murphy taking over the goalkeeper role has been floating around in recent times. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if it happens, for in McGuinness Donegal have a manager whose bag is full of rabbits.

While the Louth team for the McGeough Cup tie was experimental, Brennan giving a start to a number of those new to the senior inter-county scene, it was almost certain he had the more experienced members of his panel on the field for Sunday’s run-out against All-Ireland champions, Armagh.

Many of those who took in the McGeough Cup match were seeing the new rules being implemented for the first time. It couldn’t have gone unnoticed to them the speed with which the game was played.

It was end to end stuff, the result, no doubt, of the absence of the crossfield handpassing that has blighted the game in recent years.

As one who was sceptical of the marker for the new rule – which says each team should have at all times at least three players in either half – being at the middle of the field, your writer now has no fears of a return to the all too familiar scene of one half of the field being practically empty at different times during play.

At all times on Saturday, both teams had a player posted close to the square with two others also well forward, not as we thought, with just a matter of feet inside the midway line.

Getting back to Donegal: has McGuinness been doing nothing more than flying a kite, that really it’s the No. 14 jersey he has reserved for Michael Murphy?

Lethal around goals, the Glenties clubman would love it having only one player to contend with inside the 20 metre line, chasing after a long delivery.

Louth picked off a few two-pointers, indicated by the umpire railing an orange flag, but still hadn’t enough on the scoreboard to prevent the McGeough Cup making its way the Lake County. It ended 2-14 to 0-14, an indication perhaps that scorelines like that could be commonplace in games from now on.

There was also a clear message in this game – protesting with the referee, or being slow to withdraw, after a free has been rewarded is going to end in a heavy fine.

The ball is to be moved forward by 50 yards; when it happened on Saturday it seemed the ref was never going to stop running, ball in hand.

The level of fitness required to play the new game will be greater than ever before. And as a consequence, a team finishing with the starting 15 simply won’t happen.

It’s been more or less like that for some time, but now will become as much a part of the game as the throw-in or sideline kicks.

It was probably curiosity that brought most of the crowd along on Saturday. If they were muted for most of the hour, it was because their side was outplayed by a lively Fermanagh. This wasn’t a surprise given there were so many debutants.

The serious stuff begins the weekend after next in Mullingar, the game with Westmeath telling us more about how well last year’s regulars have adapted to the new regulations.