Brilliant underdogs Antrim are through to their first Ulster football final since 1970 after a magnificent 0-13 to 1-7 defeat of Cavan at Clones. Liam Bradley's men produced a display that belied their youth and inexperience on Saturday evening, with a wonderful all-round team performance epitomised by midfielder Michael McCann, who was brilliant in a variety of roles all over the pitch. The Saffrons will be complete underdogs against All-Ireland champions Tyrone but that will be nothing new to these giant-killers, who have already defied the odds to slay both Donegal and Cavan. Who's to say this fairytale run won't end with a first Ulster title since 1951? The winners dominated most of the first half but three unanswered Cavan points near the interval kept the out-witted Breffni men in touch at the turnaround, 0-7 to 0-6. But Antrim remained the better team after the break and were full value for their win. In contrast, Cavan managed just two scores in the second half. Cavan registered bad early wides from Martin Reilly (free), Ray Cullivan and Eugene Keating but Seanie Johnston showed his trademark dependability when slotting a left-footed effort between the posts in the fifth minute. Sixty seconds later, the Saffrons mounted their first attack of the match and it culminated in a purposeful surge through the middle by full forward Sean Burke, who fisted the levelling point over the bar. Antrim captain Paddy Cunningham kicked wide at the end of the next attack. In the tenth minute, Tomas McCann kicked a superb lead point for the underdogs, striking a sublime finish high over the bar at the end of a terrific, powerful run. At the other end, Sean Brady booted a rushed Cavan attempt well wide. Cunningham was again wasteful at the end of another wonderful Antrim counter-attack that saw them move the full length of the pitch with a succession of nice foot-passes. Likewise, Reilly missed another free in the 15th minute before Johnston rapier-like slotted over the Cavan equaliser - 0-2 each after 15 minutes. But Terry O'Neill kicked Antrim back in front after a seven-minute move that was started by an excellent Tony Scullion fetch in the midfield area. It was a lead they would never relinquish. Midfielder Michael McCann (who was playing in the forward line for the first hour or so) sold a windowful of dummies before cutting inside his man and he was awarded a free for the slightest of tugs on his shirt by full back Dermot Sheridan. McCann showed good composure to split the posts himself from the placed ball: 0-4 to 0-2 at the end of the first quarter. Burke kicked a powerful shot into the arms of Cavan goalkeeper James Reilly when perhaps he'd have been better advised to have taken his point. At this stage, Antrim were running Cavan ragged and half back James Loughrey sauntered upfield to knock over a fifth point to give his side a three-point cushion. In the 22nd minute, Johnston calmly converted a free from in front of the posts and Tommy Carr brought world handball champion Paul Brady into the fray in an effort to rouse the underperforming Breffni men. The squandermania in the Cavan attack must have been contagious as Johnston then missed the target. Michael McCann was causing the Cavan rearguard all manner of difficulties and he fisted a point after again powering through. He then set up Tomas McCann for a one-on-one with James Reilly but the Cavan goalie stood his ground and McCann kicked a tame effort straight at him. A good save or a bad miss or a combination of both? Aodhan Gallagher and Burke both missed the target for Liam Bradley's charges before Cunningham knocked over the 28th-minute score that made it 0-7 to 0-3. Johnston clipped over a harshly-awarded Cavan free to bring them back potentially within a single score with three minutes of first-half normal time remaining and Martin Reilly immediately dropped a long-range point between the posts via the top of the crossbar to narrow the gap to just two points, 0-7 to 0-5. Cullivan notched Cavan's third point in as many minutes and suddenly the pre-match favourites were back within a point. The short whistle sounded with just a point in it, 0-7 to 0-6. Antrim perhaps should have made more of that first-half period when they were in charge. Burke curled over a beautiful left-footed point to double the Antrim lead a minute after the restart and Cunningham delivered a free from the hands to make it 0-9 to 0-6. An excellent Gallagher point was Antrim's third in a row since the resumption and they had now restored their four-point advantage - 0-10 to 0-6. When Michael McCann - Antrim's version of Kieran Donaghy - was tripped as he went to take his point, Antrim were awarded a free, which Cunningham popped over the bar to make it a five-point game. Cavan were floundering and Antrim centre back Justin Crozier crept forward to dissect the points with aplomb to make it double scores, 0-12 to 0-6 with three-quarters of the game played. With 15 minutes to go, Cavan almost got in for a goal but Reilly's first-time shot was blocked by the boot of Antrim custodian Peter Graham. Sloppy Antrim defending gifted Cavan a 45 before even sloppier defending gifted Cavan substitute David Givney with a 58th-minute goal, which halved the deficit. The Saffrons were unfortunate not to be awarded a free close to goal when Sheridan handled the ball on the ground and Cavan - who instead got the free - turned possession over and had a point at the other end from peerless sub Larry Reilly. Antrim were narrowly off target twice to bring their wides tally - to a disappointing eleven - and there were two points between the teams with six minutes left to play. Substitute Ciaran Close thought he had stretched the margin in the 66th minute but play was called back for a pick-up off the ground. A minute later, Antrim got a free for barging and Cunningham drove a high left-footed shot straight over the bar to put three points between them again. Substitute Jason O'Reilly hit a Cavan wide in the 69th minute and there were still three points between the teams as the match went into the first of two added minutes. Antrim held on bravely for a famous and thoroughly-deserved win. Tweet

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