Longford came from ten points behind to record an amazing 3-15 to 2-15 victory over Cavan at Pearse Park tonight.

The hosts' goose appeared to be cooked when they fell adrift by double scores in the 37^th minute but a barnstorming finish secured them an unlikely semi-final date away to Wexford on June 2nd.

The losers were full value for a 0-9 to 0-5 interval lead, as frees from Ryan Connolly did most of the damage. Eight points were shared inside the opening quarter, with Connolly (2), Caomhin O'Reilly and substitute Dillon Raythorne on target for the visitors.

Connolly edged the Breffni County back in front and the corner forward's fourth converted free made it 0-6 to 0-4 with eight minutes left before the break; Jonathan McCabe stretched the gap to three.

Shane Kenny hit back for the midlanders but further efforts from centre forward Barry Doyle and Connolly (free) assured Cavan of a four-point half-time cushion.

When Doyle netted for the Breffni boys seven minutes into the second half, they assumed a seemingly-unassailable ten-point lead, 1-12 to 0-5.

But, incredibly, Longford rallied and goals from Enda Dalton (39) and substitute Vinny Hourican - who fisted to the net with his first touch in the 44^th minute - allied to points from Dalton, Aidan McElligott, Seamus Hannon, Rian Brady and Larry Moran saw the hosts land 2-6 without reply to lead by two with eleven minutes left, 2-11 to 1-12.

Doyle, Enda Henry and McCabe edged Cavan back in front and David McGivney equalised before Connolly planted a 25^th-minute penalty to the net to apparently seal victory for the border county, 2-15 to 2-12. But there would be one more twist: centre forward McElligott plundered the home team's third goal two minutes from time and points from midfielder Kenny, McGivney and Jayson Matthews assured Francis McNamee's charges of a truly astonishing victory.

Longford - C Garvey; L Hughes, D Keogh, R Sweeney; S Mulligan, A Quinn, J Carroll; F Sheridan, S Kenny (0-2); N Rabbitte, A McElligott (1-1), D McGivney (0-4f); R Brady (0-1), J Matthews (0-3), E Dalton (1-1). Subs: C Farrell for L Hughes (BC), S Hannon (0-2) for F Sheridan, L Moran (0-1) for N Rabbitte, V Hourcian (1-0) for S Mulligan, C Reilly for E Dalton.

Cavan - J O'Donoghue; A Watson, J Morris, D O'Reilly; B Kelly, S O'Rourke, B McKiernan; B Sankey, T Mooney; E Henry (0-1), B Doyle (1-2), J McCabe (0-3); P McCabe, C O'Reilly (0-3, 1f), R Connolly (1-5, 1-0pen, 0-5f). Subs: D Raythorne (0-1) for S O'Rourke, D Monahan for D O'Reilly, L O'Reilly for J O'Donoghue, N Clerkin for J Morris, M Teevan for B McKiernan.

Referee - D Moore.

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