Cavan 1-8 Fermanagh 1-7
It took 68 minutes but a poor match, in bitterly cold conditions, eventually caught fire in the dying seconds at Breffni Park as goalkeeping errors at both ends provided some excitement for 2,113 freezing fans in attendance.
Cavan goalkeeper Conor Gilsenan gifted Marty O’Brien a simple goal with seconds to go in normal time as the Erne men, who had been living on scraps, looked set to stage a classic smash and grab. Remarkably, though, a similar error from Fermanagh’s Chris Snow moments later handed Cavan sub Philip Tinnelly the chance to palm home the winner.
The Erne men camped, in the most part, behind their own 45, led by 0-6 to 0-4 at the end of a tame first half.
Three points from Sean Quigley and further scores from Barry Mulrone, Declan McCusker and Ryan Jones saw them lead by two on three occasions, with scores from Niall McDermott (free), Tom Hayes, Martin Reilly and Dara McVeety keeping Cavan in touch.
The third quarter was desperately poor, with Fermanagh soaking up constant pressure from the home side, who were powered on by Man of the Match Killian Clarke at midfield but were toothless, for the most part, in attack.
Terry Hyland’s troops eventually drew level by the 50th minute through a McDermott free and a long-range point from debutant Conor Moynagh.
The equaliser seemed to rouse Cavan from their slumber and they quickly hit the front through former Burnley FC soccer player Martin Reilly.
Micheál Lyng tacked on the best score of the game - a great finish after two sublime passes from Moynagh and Barry Reilly - as Cavan looked comfortable but in the end they needed Tinnelly’s goal, after Niall McDermott’s interception, to seal their place in the final for the second year in succession.
Fermanagh’s goal had nudged them two in front and even after conceding their own calamitous three-pointer, they actually had some late chances, with Sean Quigley seeing a long-range free rebound off the crossbar to safety and a 45 drift inches wide.
But the hosts just about deserved it given their monopoly on possession and held on.
CAVAN: C Gilsenan; K Brady, R Dunne, J McLoughlin; F Flanagan, C Moynagh (0-1), M Reilly (0-2, 1f); D O'Reilly, K Clarke; D McVeety (0-1), C Conroy, M McKeever; N McDermott (0-2f), T Hayes (0-1), J Brady. Subs: M Lyng (0-1) for McVeety (21 mins), E Hessin for Conroy (43 mins), B Reilly for J Brady (48 mins), J Hayes for K Brady (54 mins), M Dunne for T Hayes (59 mins), P Tinnelly (1-0) for Moynagh (68 mins).
FERMANAGH: C Snow; M Jones, J Allen, N Cassidy; D McCusker (0-1), R McCluskey, M O'Brien (1-0); E Donnelly, R O'Callaghan; B Mulrone (0-1), R Jones (0-1), P McCusker; R Corrigan, S Quigley (0-4, 2f), E McManus. Subs: D Kelly for O'Callaghan (29) mins, T Corrigan for P McCusker (49 mins), J McMahon for E McManus (55 mins), D McQuade for Kelly (61 mins), C Flaherty for Jones (68 mins).
Referee: M McNally (Monaghan).
