It was only a matter of time.
The role of the goalkeeper has changed and changed over the years. Their range of responsibilities have widened to the extent that now shot-stopping only just another link on the chain, and it’s not even the link that stops the rest.
Steven Cluxton changed the game forever and numbers ones all over the country must be cursing Dublin’s globetrotter for setting such a blinding standard for net-minders that every team in Ireland wants their man to be able to do the same.
Because it was clear how valuable Cluxton was to Dublin, and they all wanted their team to join the party.
Before the Parnell club man dared to pepper the bounds of possibility and before he put questions to the general consensus of what a goalkeeper can and can’t do, they just restarted the game by lumping kick-outs out to the midfield and hoping for the best.
Then Cluxton came along and, after some work with his teammates and some help from his balls like Bengali Tigers, he was able to rasp low and short kick outs into their chests that would act as the springboard for attacks. From there the idea that possession was a guarantee from kick outs formed.
Another burden for the stopper’s shoulders, because this is a high risk game.
But from Cluxton’s lead Rory Beggan took inspiration and the initiative.
The Scotstown man is the game’s very own sweeper keeper. The Monaghan seniors play the game like they’ve an extra man over teams, that’s because they do.
Rory Beggan is always there for his defenders when they’re struggling to clear their lines. He’ll offer himself up and it’s clear that he wants the ball.
Like a ‘keeper with notions of being an attacker, he strides up the field without a care and the opposition are never really sure what to do.
It even led to him scoring a point from play in a club game last year.
“There’s no different rule for the goalkeeper, he’s the same as every other outfield player, so it’s completely pointless to have him standing in the goals the whole time. A waste of time,” said Cian Ward, admiring Beggan’s roaming tendencies on The GAA Hour earlier this year.
That’s how they’re breeding them in Monaghan, and all of the Farney army’s ballsy ‘keepers are taking a leaf out of explorer Beggan’s book.
They’re ahead of the game in the Ulster county.
On Saturday, the man in the nets for the county’s minor team in their provincial MFC clash showed he’s learning from his elders. After pinging a Beggan-esque kickout to a teammate, Magheracloone club man Ryan Farrelly didn’t stand back and admire his work.
Ulster MFC (ET, 10'): Monaghan 2-12 Derry 0-14 Ryan Farrelly (from play after a short free!!)
— @monaghangaa (@monaghangaa) April 21, 2018
He wandered forward and looked for the return pass. With the opposition and teammates tiring around him in the extra-time period of a high octane encounter, he just stayed going and going and going. Eventually, he ended up popping it over the bar.
It led to many asking the question whether it was the first point scored from play by a keeper in an inter-county championship game.
Maybe it was, but this, this is only the beginning of it.
The pressure is on, keepers of Ireland.
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