One of the supposed attractions of the O

Fiaich Cup

double-header in Crossmaglen yesterday was to provide players, managers, referees and spectators with an early glimpse of the black card.

After the first game, which saw Steven McDonnell’s Armagh Under-21 side beat a Louth senior select by 0-14 to 2-7, no one was any the wiser about the new rules which come into play for the 2014 season.

In a game played with an understandable lack of intensity, Cavan referee Noel Mooney issued no black cards, explaining afterwards that "it was a good clean game so it (black card) didn't come into play".

Livelier match
However in a much livelier second game, which Derry won courtesy of an injury-time 45 converted by Aaron Kerrigan, Down were hit with three black cards.

Referee Pádraig Hughes issued Kalum King, Conleth O'Hare and Danny Savage with black card dismissals, which saw the Mournemen use their full complement of six substitutes.

One Down player, Gary McArdle, was also sent-off for two yellow card offences in the 54th minute as Derry won on a scoreline of 1-11 to 1-10.

Afterwards, Hughes outlined the reasons for the three black cards.

“Kalum King’s was for a third-man tackle, and the number 11 (O’Hare) was the same,” he confirmed. “Danny Savage’s was for pulling a man down.”

Hughes attended a meeting in Armagh last Thursday night where referees’ co-ordinator Pat McEnaney helped local referees to distinguish between deliberate and accidental fouls.

“Pat has pulled clips out and shown us what is a deliberate body collide, what’s a deliberate foot trip and all that,” added Hughes.

“They are clear and as Pat has told us, the emphasis is on the word deliberate.

“This was my first experience doing it, and the first experience is a learning curve. You need more games under your belt for all us to get used to it.”

Derry had the benefit of a gale-force wind in the first-half and led by 1-9 to 0-3 at half-time, Aaron Kerrigan scoring the goal in the eighth minute.

Down fared a lot better with the wind and actually drew level at 1-10 apiece after 61 minutes, Conleth O’Hare scoring their goal in the 52nd minute.

Kerrigan converted a brilliant 45 into the teeth of the wind with the last kick of the game.

McCartan reaction
Down manager James McCartan, who was bemused that no black cards were shown during their defeat to Armagh last Thursday night, had no complaints with any of the black cards shown to his players.

“If it’s a black-card offence, we want to see them being shown – we don’t want them bring sprung on us in the first week of February,” he said afterwards.

“Paudie took a liking to them today but that’s not a criticism. I think most of them were black card offences. In fact, he could have produced a few more.

"I have no qualms or difficulties with the referee or any of those decisions."

First card
Derry became the first team to be shown a black card when Declan Mullen received one during their win over Louth on Friday night.

They didn’t receive any yesterday.

“It’s going to take a wee bit of time to bed in the new rules, but I wouldn’t like to see the black card becoming the big issue of the season,” said Derry manager Brian McIver.

“Football should be the issue.”

In the earlier game, an Armagh Under-21 side managed by McDonnell beat Louth by 0-14 to 2-7. No black cards were shown by Cavan referee Noel Mooney.

Louth scored goals in each half through John Kermode and William Woods (penalty) but Armagh sub Conor McNally scored the winning free two minutes from time.