2000 Ulster Senior Football Championship final

2000 Ulster SFC Final

Event	2000 Ulster Senior Football Championship
Armagh Derry 1-12 (15) 1-11 (14)
Date	16 July 2000
Venue	St Tiernach's Park, Clones
Referee	Mick Curley (Galway)
Attendance	33,253
← 1999 * 2001 →

The 2000 Ulster Senior Football Championship Final was the showpiece game of that year's Ulster Championship, contested by Armagh and Derry and played at St Tiernach's Park, Clones on 16 July 2000. Armagh were the defending champions, having beaten Down at the same stage the previous year. ^[1]

Armagh won the game by 1–12 to 1–11, qualifying for the All-Ireland Semi Final against Munster Champions Kerry. ^[2]

The match

Armagh's tactical approach involved a two-man full-forward line of Oisín McConville and Steven McDonnell, pulling additional players into the middle third. This move "neutralised" Derry’s midfield pairing of Anthony Tohill and Dermot Heaney and disrupted Derry’s defensive structure. ^[3] Repeated attacks down the left wing highlighted the absence of Gary Coleman from Derry's half-back line as he was drawn into marking duties. Armagh capitalised on these opportunities to build a lead.^{[ citation needed ]}

Despite Armagh's dominance,^{[ tone ]} they failed to score for a period in the second half. This period, between the 49th and 67th minutes, allowed Derry to gain some control. However, Derry’s own attacking inefficiencies and missed opportunities, including frees, prevented them from taking the lead.^{[ citation needed ]}

With the sides level in the 67th minute, a free given in controversial circumstances ^[4] from Armagh forward Oisín McConville pushed Armagh into the lead. At the other end, Derry captain Anthonhy Tohill had the chance to level things again with a 55-yard free but hit wide, and referee Michael Curley blew the final whistle. ^[5]

Derry boss Eamon Coleman resigned after the game. ^[6]

Details

16 July 2000

Final

Armagh	1-12 - 1-11	Derry
S McDonnell 1-1, C O'Rourke 0-4, O McConville 0-3, J McNulty 0-1, J McEntee 0-1, P McGrane 0-1, B O'Hagan 0-1.		J McBride 1-3, A Tohill 0-4, E. Muldoon 0-2, D Dougan 0-1, J Cassidy 0-1.

St Tiernach's Park, Clones

Attendance: 33,253

Referee: M Curley (Galway)

Armagh

Derry

1 Brendan Tierney 2 Enda McNulty 3 Ger Reid 4 Justin McNulty 5 Kieran Hughes 6 Kieran McGeeney (c) 7 Andrew McCann 8 John McEntee 9 Paul McGrane 10 Cathal O'Rourke 11 Barry O'Hagan  69' 12 Paddy McKeever  63' 13 Stephen McDonnell 14 Tony McEntee 15 Oisín McConville Substitutes: Alan O'Neill  63' James Byrne  69' Manager: Brian McAlinden and Brian Canavan	1 Eoin McCloskey 2 Sean Martin Lockhart 3 Kieran McKeever 4 Gary Coleman 5 Paul McFlynn 6 Henry Downey 7 Niall McCusker 8 Anthony Tohill (c) 9 Dermot Heaney 10 Eamonn Burns  HT' 11 Dermot Dougan  51' 12 Joe Cassidy  64' 13 Patrick Bradley  HT' 14 Enda Muldoon 15 Johnny McBride Substitutes: Joe Brolly  HT' Ronan Rocks  HT' Seamus Downey  51' Fergal McCusker  64' Manager: Eamon Coleman

Man of the Match: Ger Reid (Armagh ) [7]

References

1. Irish Independent - Monday 02 August 1999 Page 33
2. "Do you remember the last Ulster SFC final before the back door arrived?". BBC Sport. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2024-12-25.
3. Eamon McGee - Orchard Bloomsday Irish Independent - Monday 17 July 2000 - Page 25
4. "Do you remember the last Ulster SFC final before the back door arrived?". BBC Sport. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2024-12-25. Armagh's Ulster win over Derry in 2000 was deemed controversial due to a scuffle between Derry's Henry Downey and Armagh's Paddy McKeever, which earned the Orchard County their winning free, despite many believing it wasn't a foul
5. Martin Breheny - The Derry captain had a chance to bring his side level and into a replay when he faced up to a 55-yard free two minutes into injury time. There was no lack of power or conviction in his right foot drive, but it sailed wide of the posts and referee Michael Curley blew the full time whistle almost immediately. Irish Independent - Monday 17 July 2000 - Page 29
6. Coleman resigns Irish Independent - Monday 17 July 2000 Page 29
7. G Reid - Armagh - Man of the Match Irish Independent - Monday 17 July 2000