Cavan Gaels, Castlerahan, Killygarry, Ramor United and Lavey are all through to the quarter-finals of the senior football championship after Saturday evening's Round Four encounters across the county.

It means that four teams - Kingscourt, Ballinagh, Cootehill and Crosserlough - will play-off for the three remaining places in the last eight, with one slipping down to the relegation battle.

Defeats for Cuchulainns, Arva and Mullahoran this evening sees their status in the top tier now officially at risk, while the draw between Gowna and Lacken in Cornafean also means those two clubs could be facing the drop down to the intermediate ranks in the coming weeks.

Stevie O'Connor's late point rescued a play-off for Cootehill this evening as they played out a 2-5 to 0-11 draw with 14-man Cavan Gaels at PJ Duke Park in Stradone.

Micheál Lyng's second minute sending-off and a goal from Celts speedster Caoimhín Carney had the competition favourites on the back-foot early on but they'd manage to level matters by the break (1-2 to 0-5).

The Gaels bossed things in the third quarter, moving three clear before Enda Hessin's 50th minute goal had things even with 10 minutes to go and although Jason O'Reilly's already qualified side went back up by two, Shane Sexton and O'Connor landed the last two scores to salvage a precious point for the Hugh O'Reilly Park outfit.

Jack Brady struck for 2-3 as Ramor United picked up their third win of the competition in emphatic fashion against Arva in Ballymachugh, where it finished 4-19 to 0-11 in the champions' favour.

Brady's first major came 14 minutes in and after that the Virginia men would go on to lead by 1-10 to 0-5 at the half before raising more green flags through Cathal Maguire, Brady and Conor Farrelly to secure a fourth place finish in the table.

Killygarry ensured that Kingscourt must come through a play-off battle after handing the former champions a comprehensive 1-16 to 0-7 defeat in Bailieborough this evening.

The Crubany men got off to a solid start with points from Conor Smith (2) and Ross Sheridan and never looked back, leading by 0-12 to 0-5 at the half before Martin Reilly's 51st minute penalty sealed their place into the knock-out stages.

Castlerahan ensured they'd head into the quarter-finals unbeaten after holding on for a 0-15 to 0-14 over Crosserlough in Crosskeys, leaving the latter outside the top eight but still in a play-off after finishing up on four points.

It was the Kilnaleck men that led by the odd point in 13 at the end of an air tight first-half before last year's beaten finalists (after a replay) stormed in front within four minutes of the restart and built up a three-point lead heading for injury-time, with talisman Cian Mackey landing their last point, as the black and ambers ran out of time to snatch a draw.

Finbar O'Reilly's late, late free in Cornafean saved Lacken a 0-10 apiece draw against Gowna, denying their neighbours a play-off berth as both teams finished with three points each in the table.

Gowna led by 0-8 to 0-6 at the half but the men from Crowe Park pulled level with nine minutes to go and even though they were reduced to 14 with the dismissal of Craig Lanuze, former Cavan senior O'Reilly came up trumps in the third minute of injury-time to ensure that defeat was avoided.

In Killeshandra, Ollie Fay's Ballinagh side cruised to victory over struggling neighbours Mullahoran who suffered their fourth consecutive defeat of this year's competition.

The 1-17 to 0-11 victory over the Dreadnoughts means that the 2013 champions finish with four points and remain in the hunt for the Oliver Plunkett Cup.

After drawing their first three games, Lavey scored their first win against Cuchulainns this evening and they were pushed all the way for it, as it finished 2-16 to 1-21 in the New Inns men's favour in Killinkere.

County man Gerry Smith and Shane Tierney supplied the victors' goals in the first-half before Karl Duke came up with the winner in the second minute of injury-time for Kevin McDonnell's charges.

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