Donegal ladies boss Daly gives Rodgers update, happy with first win under new rules

James Daly has felt his Donegal ladies team have begun to get to grips with the new rules in the ladies' game as they got off to a winning start in Division 2.

An eight-point win over Westmeath in O’Donnell Park gave them what was in the end a comfortable win, but with the game level at the break, it wasn’t like that the whole way through.

But a first win under the new rules, which were brought in just last month, have transformed the game as the defences were less packed and space inside the 21 metre line was found by both teams at times.

Some of the rule changes include ones from the men’s game, such as the kickout mark, the two-point scoring arc, the three-up, three-back rule, the solo and go, and frees being brought forward for tactical fouling or dissent from the sideline.

The six other rule changes look specifically at current LGFA rules, including those related to tackling, with the overall aim of ensuring that the playing rules of the game are fair, consistent, inclusive, and reflective of the modern development of the sport.

“It has kind of been thrown at us a bit late, and we worked at it a wee bit in December and then through January, we had a couple of challenge matches, and we worked on it in training.

“‘Poggy’ (Bernard McGeehan) is the man for our drills, and a lot of them are about the new rules. Like the tap and go, it’s the opposite side of it you need to be careful with, you can’t foul them, so you have to be very good with that.

“We like the new rules and the more physical end of things because we are a physical team. But I thought we did fine with them, Gus (Chapman) is a good referee and he explained a lot of things as we went along, but of course you’re not going to agree on everything!”

Donegal lost instrumental captain Róisín Rodgers before half-time due to a bad injury, with the Naomh Muire woman having to be stretchered off into an ambulance.

But Daly confirmed it was more precautionary, and praised the subs that came into the game, with Abigail Temple Asokuh having a great second half at full-back, while Cáit Gillespie, Eva Gallagher and Aoife McDermott came off the bench and combined for the final 1-4 of the game.

“We feel we have a squad of 32, and we have a lot of girls there who can come on and play, and it showed there. We put Abigail (Temple Asokuh) on just before half-time, and then we made changes, and they worked for us. We have a strong bench, between extra forwards, Eva Gallagher came off the bench and scored three points, then Abigail going in at full back, and she played really well.

“From what I’ve heard so far, Róisín is okay. She’s gone to hospital, and it’s just a precaution.

“But when you lose your leader and your captain, it gives a bit of a bump close to half-time, but we got the girls rounded up at half-time, and we thought we done a good job. The first five minutes of the second half, we were poor, but we got our foot in the game then, and we were very good.

“When we look back at the video, the one issue we’ll have is the amount of ball we gave away in the last twenty minutes of the first half. But when you come out and put a second-half performance in, then the girls are going to believe in what we can do, and that's what it’s about.

“We’ve a young team, and everyone has experience now, nobody is new apart from the likes of Ava Caulfield playing wing half back, putting in a really good game. But I thought Sue White was outstanding in the second half, she scored the goal and was instrumental in our victory.

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“Ciara McGarvey is part of the panel this year, and she done really well, she just didn’t get on the scoreboard. But the likes of her are going to get goals for you.

“We only scored maybe two or three goals through the whole of the league last year, and it’s stuff we’ve been working on, to be more clinical when we get the opportunities.

“But it was good, and the big players stood up when we needed them. Cáit Gillespie came off the bench and gave us loads of energy and scored a cracking goal, and that’s one thing about her, she always finds her way to the end of the play all the time, whether that’s getting the ball over the bar or the back of the net.”