The Tyrone versus Armagh rivalry dominated the gaelic football landscape during the first half of the noughties - but neutrals barely give it a second glance nowadays.

The two counties meet in the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers at Omagh tomorrow (Sunday) but as Peter Canavan pointed out to the Irish Independent: "It's a sign of the times that Sunday's game is not even going to be televised."

"A few years ago, it was the sort of game that everyone would liked to have seen."

With Canavan as captain, Tyrone won the first of their three Sam Maguire Cup successes courtesy of a 0-12 to 0-9 final win over the Orchard County back in 2003.

"The hits ... I remember Sean Cavanagh and Francie Bellew clattering into one another and it felt like the stadium shook.

"Hits were being given left, right and centre and both teams went at it.

"They were great games to be involved in but when you are involved in them, you don't say, 'My God, this is a great game'.

"You are just consumed by beating them and how to win the match.

"There were times we felt we should have beaten Armagh well and didn't and they would come back to get a draw or win it.

"Maybe in the (2005) semi-final, they were saying, 'What do we have to do to beat Tyrone?' For long periods they were the dominant team and we came at the finish with a burst and had the never-say-die attitude that carried us through." Tweet

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