Down best

Ulster MFC/Down 1-12 Cavan 0-11: Cavan passed up three golden chances of goals in the third quarter at Casement Park yesterday and were made to pay as they lost this Ulster quarter-final to Down, who will meet Armagh or Monaghan in the semi-final

Down began in a flurry with three points in five minutes before Declan Lavery was hauled down in the Cavan box but Steve Doran's penalty was turned over by goalkeeper Terry Smith.

When it did come, Down's goal, from centre-back Steve Sands, followed a strange decision; the referee penalised Cavan for taking a free from the wrong place and threw the ball up. Down led 1-6 to 0-4 at the break.

Cavan resumed strongly and closed the gap to a point, 1-9 to 0-11, with nine minutes left but Down's Martin Farrell and Martin Clarke sent over pressure free-kicks and Declan Lavery added the insurance point.

DOWN: M McAllister; L Howard, C Kelly, P Mageean; S Parr, S Sands (1-1), R Lynch; B McLoughlin, J Colgan; M Clarke (0-3, 0-1 free), J Boyle (0-2, 0-2 frees), S Doran; D Lavery (0-3, 0-1 penalty), P Downey (0-1), M Farrell (0-2, 0-1 free). Subs: K Anderson for Downey (49 mins), E McConville for Sands (54 mins), D Morgan for Doran (62 mins).

CAVAN: T Smith; F Slowey, E Madden, R Flanagan (0-1); A Clarke, D Sheridan, D McCabe; R Cullivan, A Reilly; F Jordan, D Gaffney (0-1, free), C Mackey (0-2); G Collins (0-3), D Gunn (0-3, 0-1 free), E Gaffney. Sub: A Duignan (0-1) for Collins (40 mins).

Referee: JJ Cleary (Dublin)