Cavan goalkeeper Raymond Galligan landed a 55metre free with the last kick of extra time to dump favourites Monaghan out of the championship on a dramatic day at Clones.
It had looked like his opposite number Rory Beggan had done enough to take the game to penalties when he drilled over a free in the 93rd minute of yesterday’s preliminary round Ulster SFC tie.
But there was time for one more twist on a blustery day at St Tiernach’s Park and Galligan made every use of the strong wind advantage to convert a monster free that had right to be right on the edge of his range.
Division One side Monaghan had their chances to make sure they advanced to a first round clash with Antrim next week.
They had a few goal opportunities in the first half saved by Galligan while Conor McCarthy cracked one off the crossbar and right at the end of normal time McManus missed a free to win it.
Oisin Pierson’s early goal was part of a good Cavan start but Monaghan took over in the second quarter and Conor McManus’ clever finish gave Monaghan a goal just before the interval which gave then a 1-11 to 1-4 lead.
McManus kicked all of his 1-4 total in the first half. Cavan made good use of the wind in the second half with Luke Fortune and Gearoid McKiernan coming more into the game landing huge scores.
Cavan scored six points in a row in the final 20 minutes of the second half but Monaghan still had a chance to win it through McManus in the sixth minute of injury time, but his free missed on the near side.
The game then went to extra time and it was Cavan who kicked on with Martin Reilly’s palmed goal to the net in the second half of extra time a crucial score.
Both sides finished with 14 men. Monaghan sub Christopher McGuinness was red-carded early in extra time before goalscorer Reilly picked up a black card later on.
Having suffered relegation last week, Cavan could easily have meekly succumbed to their fate when they trailed by seven points after the opening half, but they showed a lot of guts to fight back and half-time sub Thomas Galligan was instrumental in helping turn it around.
Monaghan: R Beggan (0-1, f); K Duffy (0-2), C Boyle, R Wylie; D Ward (0-1), F Kelly (0-1), K O’Connell; D Hughes, K Hughes; R McAnespie (0-1), M Bannigan (0-2), D Malone; S O’Hanlon (0-1), C McCarthy, C McManus (1-4, 2f)
Subs: D Malone for D Wylie (26), S Carey (0-1, m) for McCarthy (61), N Kearns for O’Hanlon (64), C McGuinness for K Hughes (70), C Walshe (0-1) for Bannigan (70), A Woods (0-1) for Kelly (79), C McCarthy for O’Connell (86)
Cavan: R Galligan (0-1, f); J McLoughlin, K Clarke, K Brady; G Smith (0-1), C Brady, L Fortune (0-2); J Smith (0-1), P Faulkner; M Reilly (1-1), G McKiernan (0-3), O Kiernan (0-1); O Pierson (1-0), S Smith (0-2), C O’Reilly
Subs: T Galligan (0-1) for J Smith (HT), N Murray (0-1, m) for Pierson (40), C Conroy (0-1, a ‘45’) for C Brady (54), T Donohoe for O’Reilly (54), P Graham for K Brady (57), E Doughty for Murray (90), C Timoney for McLoughlin (90), N Murray for Donohoe (92)
Referee: Ciaran Brannigan (Down)
