Tailteann Cup: Down beat Cavan in all-Ulster encounter to reach semi-finals

Havern recorded 0-5 to help Down to victory against Cavan

Down upset favourites Cavan to win by five points at Breffni Park and book their place in the Tailteann Cup semi-finals.

It was a fairly even all-Ulster quarter-final encounter on Saturday, until the closing stages.

A late goal from Danny Magill helped Down to a 1-17 to 0-15 victory against last year's beaten finalists.

The draw for the semi-final stage of the competition will take place on Monday.

The last championship meeting between Cavan and Down came in the Ulster semi-final in November 2020 when the Breffni County fought back from 1-9 to 0-4 down at half-time to clinch a dramatic 1-14 to 1-13.

Down would get their revenge this time round, although were forced to do so the hard way.

In what was a fairly even first period, Down's Pat Havern and Cavan's Oisin Brady converted the first two points for their respective counties from frees.

Down the opened up a three-point advantage on 16 minutes, courtesy of points from Rory Mason, Liam Kerr and Havern, with all of them coming from play.

The back and forth scoring was a persistent theme in the first-half, with Padraig Faulkner responding for Cavan, before Ryan Johnston then reaffirmed the Mournemen's three-point lead.

Brady and Havern each took their tallies to 0-3 and 0-4 with further scores, and Gearoid McKiernan brought Cavan to within one point of Down on 25 minutes.

Kerr and Mason again stretched Down's lead in the latter stages of the half, with Oisin Kiernan's late point leaving the score at 0-7 to 0-9 in favour of the Mourne County at the interval.

The exchanging of points continued after the break, with Faulkner closing the gap to one again for the Breffni County, only for Magill to put Down two points ahead once more.

Brady converted his fourth free of the afternoon to level for Cavan, but his counterpart Havern recorded his fifth point to edge Down back in front.

Kerr and Brady both recorded points with Mason and then Patrick McCarthy pointing to stretch Down's advantage to three.

Cian Madden and Brady reduced the deficit to one point, but Magill's goal with two minutes remaining put Down in a commanding position.

Brady scored another free, but two Down points in additional time helped them to a five-point win.

Conor Laverty's men could face Meath, Laois or the winner of Antrim against Carlow, in the final four.

A dominant display from Meath helped them beat Wexford 2-23 to 0-12 to move into the semi-finals with ease.

Laois, meanwhile, defeated Limerick 1-14 to 0-14, as Colm Murphy's late goal sealed a comeback victory.

Antrim take on Carlow on Sunday in the final quarter-final.