Roscommon manager Davy Burke said a rip-roaring clash with Down was an example of what the new rules in Gaelic football can achieve as his side claimed victory in Allianz Football League Division 2.
The match total of 53 points was the highest of the weekend in a match which had few respites for the scoreboard operators.
The home side emerged with a 3-20 to 1-21 victory to begin their league campaign.
Reacting to the manic nature of the clash, Burke said: "Yeah I was blowing hard myself at the end of it.
"It's frantic and it's absolutely chaotic but I'd be very positive about the new rules and the new game.
"I think we're enroute to a brilliant product. I think there's a few things I’d probably tweak, but I'd be very, very optimistic."
Debate will rage throughout the league on what works efficiently with Burke expressing minor reservations of punishments of up to 50 metres retreat for dissent and the three up breach, yet his overall mood was positive on the evidence today.
That also extended to the outcome of the game, where despite being on the end of six of the new two-points scores in the opening 35 minutes, the Rossies came away smiling.
Pat Havern put the ball over the bar seven times in scoring 0-11, with Burke saying there was a lesson learned for his side on what such classy players can do in this new era, caveated with the fact that they came when Down had the advantage of a hefty breeze.
Burke explained: "Pat Havern is a fair footballer in fairness to him and he killed us, they kicked six two pointers in the first half. You can’t concede that too many more times if you want to win games so we'd be disappointed with that obviously but fair play to Down they were sharp.
"We didn't decide to go down to challenge the game route. We only played three games.
"Other teams played more games and we were happy to train.
"It was a risk we took, we knew we'd be slightly rusty today. It's a long season.
"We got a big two points. We go to Ardee next week and it doesn’t get any easier."
Relegation from the high-quality Division 1 was no disgrace for the Connacht outfit with the hangover extending later in the year.
Burke said they want a better platform to take into the provincial championship and All-Ireland in the summer.
"It’s hugely important," he stressed.
"We had a rough year last year even though we made the All-Ireland quarter-final.
"We woke up a lot of Monday mornings in bad form so not being in such bad form as often this year [would be nice].
"It's important for that group to get momentum, a bit of confidence. You kick 3-21, you have to be happy enough and we left a heap out there so we'll get better for next week."
Down boss Conor Laverty admitted he was disappointed to see the match slip away.
"We felt we put ourselves in a position to win the game, but maybe the last 10 minutes of the game just became more frantic and there was a bit of chaotic stuff near the end.
"But we were proud of the effort and the endeavour of our players. We came here to get a result, to give a performance and to express ourselves and play good football and I felt that we did that."
As a very young manager in the inter-county circuit, he is taking the changes with a open mind in the knowledge something had to happen to the sport to make it more entertaining.
"I actually felt both teams embraced the rules well today. Listen, it's going to take time for players, management and particularly referees to get used to this.
"There's an awful lot going on. There's an awful lot of opinions. People maybe don't understand the rules and there is shouting coming from one side to another side but listen we just have to be patient.
"We'll probably all have to be realistic and say that Gaelic football definitely needed a tweak.
"Maybe there's an awful lot at the one time and pre-season competitions would have helped maybe iron a wee bit more of it out instead of trying to iron them out on the first day of the league.
"But I think everybody just has to embrace it now and be patient with them and give this a real go."
