With an Ulster final place on the line, Armagh and Cavan played out a thrilling 1-14 to 0-17 draw after extra time at Clones.

The replay will take place at the same venue next Sunday as a double-header with the first-round Qualifier between Monaghan and Fermanagh.

Jarlath Og Burns’ 40th-minute goal looked like it might be the game breaker but, despite being reduced to 14 men when trailing by two points just past the hour mark, Cavan forced a draw, with match-saving substitute Cian Mackey registering two sublime regulation-time equalisers and also hitting a late, late leveller in the 17th minute of extra time.

The sides couldn’t be separated during the first half, sharing 14 points as the scores were level on seven occasions. But Cavan were happiest going in for the break as they had played into the elements.

Aidan Nugent fired Kieran McGeeney’s side ahead for the first time in the 13th minute, Burns and Rian O’Neill having cancelled out frees from Gearoid McKiernan and Niall Murray. McKiernan’s second pointed free – a brilliant strike into the wind – had the Breffni men level again but Armagh went straight up to the other end of the field and Burns curled over an excellent point.

A wonderful Conor Moynagh point off the outside of the right boot – Cavan’s first from play – tied the scores up for the fourth time, Murray’s second converted free edging Mickey Graham’s charges back in front but O’Neill whipped over a tricky free on 20 minutes to make it five apiece.

Cavan’s second point from play was as good as the first, Gerard Smith lashing over a terrific score, also off the outside of the boot, but substitute Joe McElroy replied straight away and the Breffni County suffered a big blow eight minutes from the break when full back Padraig Faulkner was black-carded, albeit with O’Neill missing the resultant free. Cavan wouldn't hit the front again.

After a long spell without a score at either end, O’Neill’s free on 35 minutes had Armagh in front but Christopher Conroy – who had replaced the injured Smith - equalised deep into injury time following good work by McKiernan.

The sides were level twice more upon the restart as Dara McVeety and Murray took it in turn to cancel out points from corner back Paul Hughes and Jemar Hall but a sliver of daylight appeared between the sides for the first time in the fifth minute of the second half when Burns got forward from midfield and planted the ball in the net after being picked out by Jamie Clarke.

O’Neill’s exquisite free into the wind increased the gap but Murray pointed a brace of frees either side of an Aidan Forker reply as three points separated the teams with the rain teeming down and darkness falling as we went into the last 20 minutes in stony grey land.

Bit between their teeth, Cavan edged closer courtesy of a sumptuous Stephen Murray strike on 54 minutes, the No.21 having only entered the fray two minutes earlier. Nugent banged over a reply off his left peg but, with eleven minutes remaining, Stephen Murray turned down a goal chance and once more reduced the arrears to a couple of points, setting up a dramatic finale…

Clarke spurned a chance to increase the Orchard advantage but Cavan’s hopes took a hit with nine minutes left when Ciaran Brady was shown a straight red card for catching Mark Shields with a swinging arm.

However, with six minutes of normal time left, McVeety showed tremendous character to close the gap to one point, substitute Cian Mackey equalising with a brilliant strike from 45 metres 60 seconds later.

Clarke tapped over a close-range free to restore Armagh’s lead but the 14 men hit back immediately through Mackey again at the end of a terrific team move. Armagh had Brendan Donaghy sent off for a second yellow-card offence four minutes into stoppage time and it finished all level after normal time, which meant that extra time would be played to determine who advanced to the Ulster final.

As the tension rose, the next score didn’t arrive until the third minute of the second period of extra time when Stefan Campbell broke free to fist the Orchard County back in front but, despite having had Conor Moynagh black-carded, Cavan equalised through than man Mackey once again, another magnificent score three minutes from the end of extra time. Having saved his county's bacon not once but thrice, maybe the veteran attacker wil get a starting shirt next Sunday!

Armagh - B Hughes; J Morgan, M Shields, P Hughes (0-1); R Kennedy, B Donaghy, A Forker (0-1); J Og Burns (1-2), N Grimley; A Nugent (0-2), R Grugan, J Hall (0-1); J Clarke (0-1f), R O'Neill (0-4, 3f), S Campbell (0-1). Subs: J McElroy (0-1) for J Morgan, E Rafferty for S Campbell, A Murnin for R Grugan, N Rowland for A Forker, B Crealey for A Nugent, C Vernon for J Og Burns.

Cavan - R Galligan; J McLoughlin, P Faulkner, C Moynagh (0-1); G Smith (0-1), K Clarke, C Rehill; Conor Brady, G McKiernan (0-2f); M Reilly, D McVeety (0-2), N Murray (0-5, 4f); O Kiernan, T Galligan, C Madden. Subs: Ciaran Brady for P Faulkner (BC), C Conroy (0-1) for G Smith, C Mackey (0-3) for C Madden, S Murray (0-2) for Conor Brady, O Pierson for T Galligan, P Graham, J Brady for N Murray, B Fortune for C Moynagh (BC), C Madden for O Kiernan.

Referee - D O'Mahoney.

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