NIALL MORGAN is buzzing the FRC did not send goalkeepers into lockdown – and will continue to attack for Tyrone.
Morgan has always ventured forward for his county, and feared strong restrictions on stoppers when Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee devised rule amendments last week.
A tweak was passed where teams have to keep four players in their own half at all times as opposed to three, which saw a host of goalies stay put in round 6 of the NFL last weekend.
But Morgan and Monaghan stopper Rory Beggan continued to join attacks, as they are still allowed to receive the ball once they cross the half-way line.
Morgan starred as Tyrone defeated Donegal on Sunday, and scored 0-5 in a 0-25 to 0-19 win to ease their relegation fears heading into Sunday’s final round clash with Dublin in Omagh.
The Edendork man admits he did not venture forward as much as usual, but was relieved the FRC did not restrict the stoppers.
He said: “I suppose I said the last time that I just didn’t want to be completely penned in. Obviously changes have happened and you just sort of have to make do with what the FRC have done.
“They’ve made the recommendations, it’s going to be a challenge for everybody. We seen at the weekend that with a lot of teams, the ‘keeper did just stay back, but I didn’t!
“I suppose it’s just about trying to find ways of making it work. I’m just glad that they didn’t say altogether that you have to stay back.
“I didn’t go forward as much at the weekend as much as I have been previously. I think it will be just a case of rotating who stays back. It’ll be interesting to see how it progresses.”
Tyrone are still in big relegation trouble despite Sunday’s win. They must beat Dublin to stay up, but also need Derry to defeat Armagh or Galway to banish Kerry to survive.
And Morgan, 33, insists top flight football is vital despite Armagh and Dublin lifting Sam Maguire from Division 2 in the past two years.
He said: “If we don’t win we go down, it’s as simple as that. I’ve said before that we want to play Division 1 football.
“It’s not the be all and end all because we’ve seen what Armagh and Dublin have done in previous years but you still want to play at the top division and you still want to be in Division One.
“Unfortunately we could win and still go down, we’ve probably left it too late to try to salvage something but it’s a massive game.”
TYRONE goalkeeper Niall Morgan was speaking at the launch of the John West Féile 2025, marking 10 years of sponsorship by the company of the competition at Croke Park.
