The changes proposed by the Football Review Committee (FRC) have crated a huge amount of talking points since they were first viewed in the opening round of the Allianz National Football League.

Now, the new ideas are being implemented in club grounds around Mayo and we were in Srath Garbh on Sunday to see Moy Davitts host Ballaghaderreen.

The game in Foxford ended in an entertaining 1-17 to 2-12 win for the home side in the East Mayo Centenary Cup quarter-final under sunny skies and it was certainly an entertaining start to the season.

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ONLY ONE 2-POINTER

There was only one two-pointer scored, from Ballaghaderreen midfielder Arainn McDermott in the first-half, and there was no breaches of the 'three-up' rule so the main talking points so far of the intercounty season didn’t materialise in Foxford.

Moy Davitts goalkeeper Chris McGlynn did make one foray forward in the second-half but that was the only time either net-minder left their goal. No doubt we will see more of it later in the year though.

Ronan Gurren was the man in the middle and credit must go to himself and line official Michael Daly for their implementation of the rules. There was little or no confusion and the game ran without hitch.

The general consensus in Srath Garbh was that the rules themselves were not a major talking point but they definitely made the game much more entertaining as it was an end-to-end game with no major defensive systems in place and the opportunity for forwards like Brian Reape and Kuba Callaghan to thrive.

There was excitement throughout as Moy Davitts recovered from six points down with nine minutes left to play to power home to a one-point victory thanks to an injury-time score from Brian Reape.

The home side hit the first three points of the game through Reape, Liam Byrne and Ronan Clarke before McDermott landed the game’s only two-pointer in the ninth minute. 

The two teams exchanged points for much of the first-half, but a run of three unanswered before the break put Moy Davitts into a one-point lead.

Two second-half goals from Kuba Callaghan, the second a flicked effort after a Ryan Lynch two-point effort dropped short, put Ballaghaderreen six ahead with time ticking away, but Ronan Clarke’s late goal gave the home side a chance before Reape won the game in injury-time.

You would wonder if the old rules had still been in place would six points have been too big a deficit for the home side to turn around? The space that is created in attack, thanks to the 'three-up' rule gives teams the chance to go after a game even in the dying moments.

If this contest was a sign of things to come at club level then supporters in Mayo are in for a treat.

MANAGER'S REACTION

The new rules are not just a challenge for players to adapt to, but also for managers. Paul McGarry has taken over Moy Davitts this season and having recently managed Mayo Gaels and Cill Chomain under the old rules he is coming to grips with the new systems the same as everyone else.

McGarry was happy with how his team performed on Sunday as the new era began; “We are only back two weeks, it was my first outing with the lads and I was very impressed and thought the lads adapted well to the new rules.

“We hadn’t worked on anything in particular when it comes to the new scores. We havn’t really done an outdoor pitch session yet. However, it is something we will definitely work on because the two-pointers are going to be game changers as the season goes on. We created five goal chances with the new space and took just one of them, so we’ll have to work on maybe taking the right option in those positions.”

McGarry praised referee Ronan Gurran for his handling of the new rules; “To be fair, there was no real controversy. The ball moved fast and the referee, did a good job overall. I thought there would be a bit more teething problems but there wasn’t to be fair. It went really smoothly and I have to say I’m happy enough with them.”

PLAYERS' REACTION

The men between the white lines will be the most impacted by the changes in the game. Following Moy Davitts' one-point victory over Ballaghaderreen on Sunday two of the men at the coal-face gave their reaction.

The home side's Brian Reape and Ballaghaderreen defender David Drake, two men who know what it’s like to play at the highest level of both club and county football, didn't hold back.

Reape, who hit the late winner for Moy Davitts is a fan; “The rules are good. Ronan Gurran and Michael Daly did a brilliant job implementing them. We have always tended to play with three kept up the field anyway so it won’t change too much for us.

“We probably need to work on some things a bit more. We didn’t really use the tap and go too much but that felt like one of the best games I’ve played in for a long time.”

Drake, situated in the heart of the Ballaghaderreen defence believes the new era will require some adjustment; “It takes a while to get used to and you can practice it so much in training but when competitive football comes in then the mind can drift back to old habits.

“The game was definitely a good watch from a neutral perspective. There are a lot of positives from the rules and we’ll continue trying to perfect them as best we can.

Drake is known for his forays forward in the heat of battle and the new rules will make him think twice before bursting forward; “You have to keep it in the back of your mind.

The punishment for breaching the 'three-up' is so severe at the moment, but hopefully they will change the severity of that this week. I think if you are making a move forward you do need to check yourself before you go because it’s basically giving away a score if you leave too few back.”

Sunday, was the first viewing of the new rules by the Moy and the positive reaction was heartening. The game was more exciting, quicker and produced a stream of scores. A good start!

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