Allianz Football League: Beggan, Hennelly, Galligan - it was the weekend of the goalkeepers

It was a weekend which told us that the GAA diehards who decry the way modern day goalkeeping is evolving are just going to have to lump it.

Rory Beggan's first ever point from play for Monaghan was probably the big set-piece moment of the 'weekend of the goalies' as the Football League got under way although granted he has done it many times for club Scotstown.

But actually what sticks in my mind most of all was seeing Down keeper Rory Burns charge into opposition territory - way ahead of the ball - in the opening quarter of Saturday's night first ever BBC Sport Northern Ireland live streamed Football League match as the Mourne County faced Derry at Owenbeg.

Wearing his high vis yellow vest, for one moment I actually thought it was the referee on the burst before Roscommon whistler Paddy Neilan in his all-green outfit sauntered into view.

Stephen Cluxton may have started the goalkeeping evolution a decade or more ago. Beggan, with a bit of help from Niall Morgan, has brought that to an entirely new level with revolutionary moves and it now appears every new custodian on the scene is effectively a 15th outdoor player or as we used to call it in our primary school days lunchtime kickouts, a 'fly goalie'.

The opening weekend of the league included Mayo's netminder Rob Hennelly - just as he did against Dublin last summer - landing a high-pressure, last-gasp free for James Horan's side as they fought back from five points down with less than 15 minutes left to snatch a draw against Donegal at Markievicz Park.

And Raymond Galligan was at it as well for Cavan as he was joint top scorer for the Breffnimen along with Paddy Lynch after kicking five points in their opening Division Four win over Leitrim in Carrick-on-Shannon.

To give the traditionalists some succour, Hennelly's free was conceded by an act of goalkeeping misadventure after Donegal's attempt to run down the clock deep in injury-time drew out Shaun Patton some 35 metres from his goal only for him to be pinged for over holding as he was enveloped by a horde of Mayo men.

It was interesting to hear former Australian Rules star Martin Clarke's musings on the whole goalkeeping debate from his commentary position alongside BBC Sport NI's Thomas Niblock at the Down v Derry game on Saturday night.

The two commentators spoke of Derry manager's Rory Gallagher recent comment that the goalkeeping revolution - because it is now a revolution - is here to say "even though some goalkeeper is going to be very badly caught out one of these days".

Clarke added that AFL friends and acquaintances of his were amazed over a decade ago at the sight of GAA keepers being almost afraid to move outside their large square.

"They used to ask me 'is it against the rules?'," recalled Clarke.

"They just couldn't believe that gaelic football goalkeepers wouldn't move from their goals."

But that was then and this is now.

There's no doubt that Beggan is the primary exponent of the goalkeeping sea charge.

The sight of him battling in the middle of the field to win possession from kickouts taken by his opposite number Niall Morgan in last July's Ulster Final was something to behold.

Beggan was like a man possessed in the closing stages of that game which included his never-to-be-forgotten scamper back to dispossess Tyrone's Mattie Donnelly as the Trillick man bore down on the unguarded Monaghan goals.

The Scotstown star was typically matter of fact about his second-half score from play on Sunday which put Monaghan ahead for the first time after being allowed to advance unchecked deep into Tyrone territory.

"I'd be questioning myself if I had missed from where I was," said Beggan, who was his team's top scorer with three points in the 0-9 to 0-9 draw at Omagh.

"I've missed chances from play for Monaghan before but I suppose it's nice to add to the scoreboard whether it's from frees or from play."

In the 'weekend of the goalies', Beggan was also involved in a talking point involving his own posts late in the game with referee Joe McQuillan ruling out a Paul Donaghy effort which would have put Tyrone 0-10 to 0-9 ahead as Brian Kennedy was penalised for a challenge on the Monaghan keeper as the ball bounced over via the crossbar.

"I felt I was about to get the ball and get the ball back out and I smacked my head against the crossbar. That wouldn't have happened if no one was coming in encroaching," insisted the Monaghan keeper

"I felt I would have been fit to prevent the ball going over the bar and the man came in impeding me."

Then at the death, it seemed pre-ordained that Beggan was going to clinch victory for Monaghan as they were awarded a free some 52 metres out but he opted for a quick ball to Conor Boyle who dropped his effort short as full-time was then blown by McQuillan.

"I felt Conor was in the better position. Maybe it was the wrong choice," said the GAA revolutionary as he reflected on his decision to "play the percentages".