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Remembering the '04 clash between Tyrone and Mayo

The National League campaign is still in session, but there's one fixture taking place this weeke...



Remembering the '04 clash...
Football

Remembering the '04 clash between Tyrone and Mayo

The National League campaign is still in session, but there's one fixture taking place this weekend that gives us an opportunity to look back at a classic championship game.

The year was 2004 and Tyrone were the reigning All-Ireland football champions. They had captured the Sam Maguire from Armagh the previous year, and now they were back to defend their crown.

In the All-Ireland quarter-final, Tyrone were matched with an emerging Mayo side that boasted talents like Ciarán McDonald, the Mortimer brothers and David Brady.

But against the reigning All-Ireland holders, Mayo were expected to crumble.

Brady, a resident Mayo midfielder of the day, spoke on Off The Ball last year about how then manager John Maughan hit the right tone to motivate the panel ahead of the game.

He told the players that after the draw was made, 'a roar went up in the Tyrone dressing room when they got Mayo.' Brady recalls how the revelation transformed the team into 'raging bulls,' intent on punishing Tyrone for underestimating their challengers.

It later turned out that the Tyrone squad never reacted that way, but Brady praised Maughan for inventing the story to inspire them to victory.

Remembering the '04 clash between Tyrone and Mayo

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Tyrone and Mayo played out an incredible tie that day, which saw both sides put on an exhibition of fine scoring.

Brady, along with Conor Mortimer and Alan Dillon chipped in with points for the Western side, while Stephen O'Neill and Tyrone stalwart Peter Canavan were among those slotting over kicks for the All-Ireland champions.

A key moment appeared to have arrived in the second half, when O'Neill crashed home a shot into the top corner of the Hill 16 net. It equalised the game, and looked to have given Tryone a starting point to go on and finish the game.

But Mayo responded with a flurry of points to win the tie by 0-16 to 1-09.

Relive the magic here before both counties meet in Division 1 of the league on Sunday in Omagh.

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