Cavan maintained their push for a semi-final play-off spot with a spirited second- half performance to outplay and outscore a young and inept Down side at windswept St Malachy's Park, Castlewellan, yesterday.
A disastrous start, when they conceded a goal and a point in the opening six minutes, and a terrible final seven minutes, when Cavan lobbed over the three winning points, just about sums up this Down display.
Despite facing the strong breeze Cavan started brightly. Paul Galligan pointed after five minutes and two minutes later Paul Brady set up Seán Maguire for a goal.
It was 12 minutes before Down opened their account, with a Gregory McCartan point.
The Mournemen then took control and despite missing many good chances they scored unanswered points through Sean Ward, Liam Doyle (2), Martin Cole, Benny Coulter, Shane Ward and Aidan O'Prey to lead by 0-9 to 1-1 with minutes left to half-time.
Cavan rallied with two Dermot McCabe points and one from Finbar O'Reilly to leave the half-time score Down 0-9 Cavan 1-4.
Within three minutes of the restart Cavan were level with points from Brady and O'Reilly. The game was thrown wide open three minutes later when Ronan Sexton was brought down going through. From the resultant penalty Gregory McCartan regained the Down lead when he shot to the net. The exchanges became intense.
Cavan fought back to level the game with two Galligan points and one from O'Reilly. With 10 minutes left Anthony Forde pointed a Cavan free to regain the lead. Down fought back for Michael Walsh to level with a free and then in quick succession he missed three easy chances. Cavan regrouped. Dermot McCabe pointed twice and Galligan added a point as Cavan pulled away.
CAVAN: A Donohue; C Collins, T Prior, J Jordan; A Forde (0-1), P Reilly, M McKeever; D McCabe (0-4), P McKenna; P Brady (0-1); S Maguire (1-0), F O'Reilly (0-3); P Galligan (0-4), L Reilly, J Clarke. Subs: J Reilly for Maguire; M Hannon for O'Reilly; J McNally for Clarke.
DOWN: M McVeigh; C Byrne, B Burns, M Cole (0-1); J Clarke, A Scullion, L Doyle (0-2); Seán Ward (0-1), G McCartan (1-1); C McCrickard, A O'Prey (0-1), B Coulter (0-1); R Sexton, M Walsh (0-2), Shane Ward (0-1). Subs: D Rooney for Byrne; J McCartan for Shane Ward; D Gordon for Sexton; PP McCartan for O'Prey.
Referee: S Prior (Leitrim).
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