2001 was an historic year for the All-Ireland SFC as a backdoor was introduced for the first time and knockout provincial football came to an end.

The 2000 football championship was the last one played as a knockout and it delivered spectacularly as All-Ireland champions Meath were knocked out in their first game, a Leinster quarter-final against Offaly.

June 9 2001 saw the first ever All-Ireland SFC qualifiers played with six games down for decision. It was a day of huge interest as the GAA world got used to a completely new system.

There were large crowds and plenty of drama, as Westmeath who would later progress to an All-Ireland quarter-final were involved in a brilliant battle with Wexford.

The Lake County looked dead and buried as Mattie Forde inspired his side into a big lead but Westmeath took the game to extra time before winning a replay seven days later.

All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers

Saturday 9 June 2001

Round 1
Armagh 1-13 Down 2-4, Casement Park
Antrim 0-13 Leitrim 1-8, Casement Park
Waterford 1-10 Carlow 3-11, Fraher Field
Tipperary 1-8 Louth 0-13, Clonmel
Wicklow 1-14 Longford 0-11, Aughrim
Wexford 1-19 Westmeath 1-19 aet, Wexford Park

Team and Scorers

At Clonmel
Louth 0-13
Tipperary 1-8
Louth - C Nally, S Gerard 0-1, A Hoey, D Brennan, A Page, S Melia, J Neary, N Malone, K Reilly, D Kirwan 0-1, C Grimes 0-2, D Reilly 0-2, M Stanfield 0-6, O McDonnell, C Kelly 0-1. Subs: B Reilly for Neary, M Farrelly for Kirwan, S Shevlin for Brennan
Tipperary - P Ryan, N Kelly, D Byrne 0-1, C O'Dwyer, W Morrissey, S Collum, L Cronin, N Fitzgerald, S Maher, T Ormond 0-1, K Maguire 0-1, J Williams, P Lambert 1-1, J Shanahan 0-2, D O'Brien 0-2. Subs: K Mulryan for Fitzgerald, P Morrissey for Lamber, E Hanrahan for O'Brien
Referee - G Kinneavy (Roscommon)

At Casement Park
Antrim 0-13
Leitrim 1-8
Antrim - S McGreevy, G Bell, T Convery, M Mulholland, G Adams, A Morris, J Kelly, J Quinn 0-2, J Barr, A Finnegan, P McCann 0-1, F Wilson, K Brady 0-2, P Logan 0-8, P Close. Subs: R McAleese for Barr, K Madden for Close, O Doherty for Wilson, E McLernon for Kelly
Leitrim - G Phelan, F Reynolds, P Flanagan, M McGuinness, J Keon, O McGuinness, G Foley, P Kieran, P McGarry, M Duignan, F McLoughlin 0-1, J Guckian 0-1, A Rooney 0-4, A Charles 1-1, P Kenny. Subs: S Canning for Rooney, D Kelleher for M McGuinness, C Carroll for Guckian, F McBrien 0-1 for Kenny

At Casement Park
Armagh 1-13
Down 2-4
Armagh - P Hearty, E McNulty, G Reid, J McNulty, A O'Rourke, K McGeeney 0-2, A McCann, T McEntee, P McGrane 0-1, J McEntee 0-3, B O'Hagan 0-1, J Toal, S McDonnell 1-2, M O'Rourke, O McConville 0-4. Sub: P McKeever for B O'Hagan
Down - M McVeigh, J Clarke, C Byrne, B Grant, B Kearney, L Doyle, S Poland, S Ward, P McConville, S Mulholland 0-1, M Walsh 0-2, A O'Prey, R Murtagh, B Coulter 1-0, S Ward 0-1. Subs: M Magill for McConville, M Linden 1-0 for Murtagh, C Daly for O'Prey, B Burns for Poland.
Referee - P McEneaney (Monaghan)

At Wexford Park
Wexford 1-19
Westmeath 1-19 (after extra time)
Wexford - O Murphy, C Morris, P Wallace, R Mageean, D Murphy, D Breen, L O'Brien 0-11, W Carley, T Howlin 0-1, R Barry, J Berry 0-1, D Kinsella 1-1, P Forde, J Hegarty 0-2, M Forde 0-3. Subs: M Mahon for Barry, J Lawlor for Kinsella, I Wickham for Berry, Berry for Carley, Barry for Lawlor, Kinsella for Wickham
Westmeath - C Mullin, D Mitchell, J Keane, F Murray, D Healy, D Murphy, B Morley, R O'Connell 0-1, P Conway, D Heavin, M Flanagan 1-2, M Ennis 0-1, J Fallon 0-8, D Dolan 0-2, G Heavin 0-5. Subs: D Hughes for Murray, J Brennan for Conway, D Gavin for Hughes, Conway for O'Connell, Murray for D Heavin, F Wilson for Murphy, A. Canning (70 mins)
Referee - A Mangan (Kerry)

At Aughrim
Wicklow 1-14
Longford 0-11
Wicklow - T Murphy, M Coffey, B O'Donovan, T Burke, B OhAnnaidh 0-1, C Toomey, S Cush, D Coffey 0-4, S O'Neill, T Harney, G Doran, T Hannon 0-3, P Callaghan 0-1, K Byrne 1-5, J Behan. Subs: O OhAnnaidh for Byrne, D Jackman for Behan
Longford - G Tonra, D Brady, D Ledwith, C Drake, M Mulleady 0-1, D Blessington, E Ledwith, D Hannify, I Brown, T Smullen 0-4, P Barden 0-3, A O'Connor 0-1, J Martin 0-1, N Sheridan, P Davis. Subs: W Skelly for Martin, P Jones for Drake, E Barden 0-1 for Sheridan, P Ross for D Ledwith
Ref - M Hughes (Tyrone)

At Dungarvan
Carlow 3-11
Waterford 1-10
Carlow - P McGrath, J Hickey, B Farrell, V Fleming, S O'Brien 0-1, J Byrne 0-1, M Drea, A Bowe 0-1, S Kavanagh, J McGrath, W Quinlan 0-4, J Nevin 1-0, B Kelly 0-3, M Carpenter 1-0, J Kavanagh 0-1. Subs: C Kelly 1-0 for Drea, P O'Dwyer for Farrell, J Hughes for Quinlan, P Nolan for Nevin, E McGarry for Byrne
Waterford - P Houlihan, I Walsh, L Hurney, M Byrne, J Moore, M Ahern 0-2, S Briggs, K O'Keeffe, G Hurney 1-3, W Hennessy 0-2, G Walsh, L Dalton, E Hogan 0-2, J Hennessy, E Doherty. Subs: R Hennessy 0-1 for Dalton, S Walsh for John Hennessy, J Sheehan for L Hurney, P Walsh for Moore, C Power for Doherty
Referee - H Beirne (Roscommon)

Saturday 16 June 2001

Round 1
Fermanagh 1-6 Donegal 0-15, Brewster Park
Westmeath 1-16 Wexford 1-8, Cusack Park

Teams and scorers

At Cusack Park
Westmeath 1-16
Wexford 1-8
Westmeath - C Mullin, J Keane, F Murray, D Mitchell, B Morley, D Murphy, D Heavin, R O'Connell, D Hughes, M Ennis 0-2, P Conway, J Fallon 0-6, D Dolan 0-4, M Flanagan, G Heavin 1-3. Subs: F Wilson 0-1 for M Flanagan, J Brennan for Hughes, C Keane for Conway, R Casey for Mitchell, D Gavin for Murphy.
Wexford - O Murphy, C Morris, P Wallace, M Gahan, D Murphy, D Breen, L O'Brien 0-5, W Carley, J Berry, R Barry, D Kinsella 0-1, E Galavan, M Mahon, J Hegarty 0-2, M Forde 1-0. Subs: J Lawlor for Galavan, I Wickham for Barry, C Sunderland for Forde, M Carley for M Gahan
Referee - S Prior (Leitrim)

At Brewster Park
Donegal 0-15
Fermanagh 1-6
Donegal - T Blake, P Campbell, E Doherty, N McGinley, M Crossan, M Coll, D Diver, P McGonigle, J Gildea, B Roper 0-2, M Hegarty 0-1, A Sweeney 0-4, B Devenney 0-6, B McLoughlin 0-1, A Gallagher. Subs: T Boyle 0-1 for Gallagher, B Monahan for McGonigle.
Fermanagh - Ronan Gallagher, S Burns, P McGuinness, M Killy, B Owens, M McGrath, N Cox, L McBarron 0-1, P Brewster 0-1, R Johnston, Rory Gallagher 0-2, T Brewster, M O'Donnell 1-0, S Maguire, B McBrien. Subs: C Monaghan for Owens, S King for McBrien, C Donnelly 0-2 for Johnston, S McDermott for King.
Referee - E Murtagh (Longford)

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