Ulster SFC: Cavan storm back to beat Down 1-14 to 1-13 in semi-final

Cavan defender Padraig Faulkner made an important first-half block to deny Jerome Johnston

Cavan overturned an eight-point half-time deficit to beat Down 1-14 to 1-13 and reach the Ulster Championship final for a second year in a row.

Down had been 1-9 to 0-4 up after a dominant first half which included Ceilum Doherty's early goal.

But Down collapsed after the interval and Cavan, boosted by a Martin Reilly penalty, secured a one-point win.

Mickey Graham's men will play holders Donegal at the Athletic Grounds on 22 November in a repeat of the 2019 final.

Relive all the drama from the Cavan v Down semi-final

It was another stirring revival by Cavan who had been seven points down at the break in their first-round one-point win over Monaghan.

With Cavan having to play five weekends in a row, Down were regarded as the fresher side going into Sunday's match at a wet Armagh.

Cavan's one-point win over Down means they will meet Donegal again in the Ulster final

But Paddy Tally's charges wilted in the second half and the Mourne County's 26-year wait for the title must go on, their last triumph coming in the All-Ireland glory year of 1994.

Cavan have been without a provincial title for almost as long, their record 39th 'Ulster' coming back in 1997.

They will be firm underdogs against a Donegal team who produced a dominant display to see off Armagh 1-22 to 0-13 in the first semi-final on Saturday.

In the first half, there appeared to be only one team in it, as Down raced into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead by the first water break.

Jerome Johnston landed some superb points from out on the left while Ceilum Doherty blasted in a great goal after Liam Kerr's fine break set it up.

Things looked even worse for Cavan when they lost Martin Reilly for 10 minutes for a black card off-the-ball offence.

Ceilum Doherty scored Down's goal in the fourth minute at Armagh

Paul Devlin landed a free after that incident and, when he converted a 45 and Johnston struck another beauty, it look Down's game to lose.

But importantly, Cavan 10 down by this stage, got the last two scores of the first half and the opening two of the second. Maybe it was not all over just yet.

Then came the 43rd-minute penalty - and the momentum was definitely with last year's beaten finalists.

In a frantic scramble on the line, Kevin McKernan was guilty of touching the ball on the ground and Reilly coolly netted the penalty.

Down brought on Kilcoo pair Shealan Johnston and Dylan Ward, but there was no stopping the Cavan juggernaut now.

Ciaran Brady, impressive sub Conor Madden and Thomas Galligan scored, putting Cavan into the lead for the first time in the 66th minute.

Killian Clarke and Galligan, again, seemed to have sealed it and, although Down got the game's last two scores through Donal O'Hare and Shealan Johnston, it was Cavan who were celebrating another great escape at the end.