Cavan Gaels (Cavan) 5-7, Derrygonnelly Harps (Fermanagh) 2-15.

Cavan Gaels are through to the final of the Ulster club senior football championship for the 1st time in 40 years when they edged past Derrygonnelly by the minimum margin in their replayed semi-final in Clones yesterday. Played at a cracking pace throughout this was a pulsating encounter that went right down to the wire with the Cavan champions snatching the narrowest of victories with a goal 6 minutes into stoppage time to break Derrygonnelly hearts after they had battled back twice in the closing stages to take the lead. Goals cost Derrygonnelly dear in this cliffhanger when they conceded 3 inside 4 minutes in the closing stages of the 1st half and then conceded a 4th within a minute of the restart to leave them facing a 6 points deficit at that stage. They showed great character though and by the 22nd minute of the 2nd half they had battled back to parity, a goal by Conal Jones central to their recovery with the game balanced on a knife edge from there to the finish.

Teams and Scorers: Cavan Gaels: C Flynn, L: Fortune, N Murray, K Meehan 0-2, S Murray, B Fortune 1-0, D Sexton 0-1, P Graham, R Maloney Derham, N Smith, D Meehan, A Graham, P O'Connor 3-0, S Johnston 1-4 (0-2f), M Dunne. Subs: V Coyle for D Meehan (12), M Lyng for A Graham, E Fortune for P Graham.

Derrygonnelly Harps: D Feely, S McGullion, D Greene, M Jones 0-1, N Gallagher, E McHugh, G McGinley, R Jones 0-2, G Jones, K Cassidy 0-3,. P Ward 1-2, D Cassidy 0-2, G McKenna 0-5 (4f), S McGullion, C Jones 1-0. Subs: J Kelly for D Feely (32), L Jones for G McGinley (45), A Gallagher for N Gallagher (52), G McGinley for S McGullion.

Referee: S Laverty (Antrim).   

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