Cavan: 1-14 P Reilly (0-3, free, pen), J Reilly (1-0), D McCabe (0-2), M Graham (0-2), P Galligan (0-2), F Reilly (0-2,frees), L Reilly (0-1), E Jackson (0-1), B McCrudden (0-1).
Down: 2-10 Scorers - M Walsh (1-4, 2 frees), M Linden (1-1), S Ward (0-2), L Doyle (0-2, frees), S Mulholland (0-1).
Referee: S McCormack (Meath).
Attendance: 17,000.
Cavan are on the trail again. The midlands faithful sat through some heart-stopping closing moments on the Falls Road against Pete McGrath's brave young Down team but walked a way with something that had eluded them for the past three summers - a victory.
It could have been a lot easier. Down found themselves swamped by a free-running Cavan team for the last half-hour and yet came within a single point of ensuring themselves another date.
"A lot of people came here expecting Down to get a hammering," observed McGrath at pitch-side afterwards.
"We were determined that wasn't going to happen. We made mistakes but they were down to inexperience and the pride and passion we displayed out there today was hugely encouraging."
Still, it was a shadow of the Mourne force that stalked the land under McGrath's kindly counsel a decade ago. Down still possess good forwards - Michael Walsh radiated danger throughout, Ronan Murtagh took the game to Cavan and Shane Ward gave trouble in the first half.
But it was the brief cameo by cult-hero Mickey Linden that inclined observers towards nostalgia. The attendants in the shops underneath the Casement stand made more running than the Mayobridge legend but Linden still limped off having bagged 1-1 in just half an hour. Had he been fit for Down's injury-time push, well, perhaps these sides would have gone home none the wiser.
But Val Andrews' side were worth their win. Dermot McCabe and McCrudden forced their will at midfield and although some of McCabe's playmaking was wayward, Cavan's brightest spells originated from him. Jason Reilly, Mickey Graham and, in the initial exchanges, Paul Galligan enhanced Cavan's attacking reputation and captain Peter Reilly gave a brave display. Breaking free for an early second-half point that steadied the side, he was also prominent over the last 20 minutes.
Wing-backs James Doonan and Edward Jackson gave accomplished accounts of themselves. They were rarely bettered in loose-ball situations and were economical and accurate in their distribution.
In all, Cavan's full-back line coped fairly well but there was always the sense that the cover was stretched, so much so that poor Bernard Morris, Cavan's defensive veteran, spent all of 65 minutes warming up. The Gowna man has taken man of the match awards with less investment.
Plunkett McConville came into the Down line-up as a late replacement for Alan Molloy. With Brian Burns just coming back from long-term injury, that pairing was always going to be up against it in the middle of the park. So it transpired. Down were inventive and crisp over the first 15 minutes, sweeping into their only lead when Ward finished a move involving Murtagh, Liam Doyle and Brendan Coulter to put them 0-2 to 0-1 ahead. But Cavan responded instantly with a fine McCabe point from distance. Crucially, they responded just as emphatically to both of Down's stinging goals.
With Down lagging 0-5 to 0-3, Coulter hammered a high ball which Cavan goalkeeper Aaraon Donohoe couldn't collect. The ball spilled for Walsh, who buried his shot. Cavan's reaction was rousing, with Finbarr Reilly and Edward Jackson making consecutive scores. Then, in the 32nd minute, McCabe drove powerfully forward and singled out Jason Reilly. The Belturbet player burned Ciaran Byrne and drilled his shot past Mickey McVeigh. When Reilly stole a poor John Clarke sideline ball and threaded a pass for Mickey Graham to point, Cavan went in at the break leading 1-08 to 1-04.
Linden provided Down's next lifeline in a vintage moment. Snatching a fine pass from Doyle, he shimmied past Gerry Sheridan and on open ground, there was only ever going to be one result. The score was now 2-05 to 1-09 and suddenly there was a game on. Again Cavan stormed back, McCabe smashing through the back lines only to be hauled down in the square. McVeigh deflected Peter Reilly's deft penalty for a point.
When Linden drilled another point after 48 minutes, the Down folk sensed a revival. But Cavan had too much. McVeigh kept Down alive with heroic saves. Larry Reilly sent a bullet of a shot against post in the midst of a storm of Cavan wides. They did just enough. Larry Reilly curled a point on 56 minutes and Peter tapped a free nine minutes from time.
Cavan clung in to the end, Down's late rally through Mulholland and Walsh falling short. It was spirited and if the Down sharpshooters can get enough ball, they will cause headaches down the road. Cavan won't have terrified the lions of the province on this outing but that won't concern them.
