In the All-Ireland Final against Dublin, Tyrone took an early lead, just as they had in 1986, but the Dubs fought back, and ended up winning the match by a single point, 1-10 to 0-12. Peter Canavan had scored eleven points that day, but still ended up on the losing side. Tyrone fans remember the final with bitter taste, due to a controversial decision by referee Paddy Russell. With seconds remaining, and Tyrone down by a point, Russell adjudged Canavan to have touched the ball in the ground, when he was passing it to teammate Sean McLaughlin. McLaughlin put the ball over the bar, but the point was not counted.