Cavan held strong in a rip-roaring Allianz League encounter with Louth to win by a 2-13 to 3-09 margin in DEFY Pairc Mhúire.
The victory sees Raymond Galligan's side well and truly in the promotion hunt, while Louth are looking to escape relegation.
The travelling side gripped control of the helter skelter affair in the third quarter after an indifferent opening half.
James Smith netted his first goal in blue and that propelled the Breffni men to success. In that significant quarter, Louth lost influential forward Ciarán Downey to a straight red and were well led by scorer-in-chief Paddy Lynch at the top of the square.
Cavan built up a six-point lead that would cushion them over the line in the frantic finish.
Both sides settled their nervous states with placed balls. First up, Caoimhín O’Reilly with an advanced mark right from the throw in. O’Reilly had another mark opportunity but missed it.
Up came Sam Mulroy at the other end to respond with a trademark Ardee free.
A mistake from the Louth cornerback allowed Gerard Smith to net Cavan’s first goal of the league. The intercepted hand pass left the Lavey man the easy task of firing into an open net.
Again Louth would respond. Sam Mulroy, their talisman, bore down on goals, and just when he was about to pull the trigger, he was fouled. The captain dusted himself down and fired home to draw level.
Despite a wonderful brace from Paddy Lynch, Louth would take the lead for the first time in the game in the 14th minute. Tommy Durnin’s barnstorming run did the damage, with Cavan in disarray his lay off to Ryan Burns who drilled home to the roof of the net.
No longer reactive, Ger Brennan’s side opened up and Conor Grimes quickly added their first point from play.
Raymond Galligan’s side pressed hard towards the latter end of the half and it paid dividends.
The visitors cut the gap to one before half time. Lynch adding his third to make it 2-03 to 1-05.Cavan made their match winning tilt directly upon the resumption.
In that period, Louth went 16 minutes without a score and that was crucial. In a game that was tough to referee, Niall Cullen soon levelled up the numbers on the field with a second yellow for goalscorer Smith.
Ciarán Keenan led the revival on his home club pitch, notching a brace either side of setting up Mulroy for this second but regardless of the spirit, the fightback would not be enough.
Cavan lost another player to a second yellow, Oisín Brady, but the further reduction seemed to focus the Cavan resolve more.
Mulroy and replacement Tom Jackson found the range but Lynch’s late free beforehand would turn out to be the winner.
Louth: Niall McDonnell; Donal McKenny, Dermot Campbell, Peter Lynch; Leonard Grey, Anthony Williams, Conall McKeever; Conor Early, Tommy Durnin (0-01); Paul Mathews, Ciarán Keenan (0-02), Conor Grimes (0-02); Ryan Burns (1-00), Sam Mulroy (2-02, 1-00pen 0-02f), Ciarán Downey (0-01).
Subs: Tom Jackson (0-01) for Mathews (44), Niall Sharkey for Grey (57), Conall McCaul for Early (62), Ciarán Murphy for Williams (62), Kyle McElroy for Burns (68).
Cavan: Gary O’Rourke; Jason McLoughlin, Killian Brady, Oisín Kiernan; Padraig Faulkner, Niall Carolan, Brian O’Connell; Killian Clarke, James Smith (1-00); Ciarán Brady, Cian Madden (0-02), Gerard Smith (1-00); Caoimhín O’Reilly (0-02, 0-01m), Paddy Lynch (0-08, 0-06f, 0-01’45), Oisín Brady.
Subs: Cian Reilly for Kiernan (ht), Cormac O’Reilly (0-01) for C O’Reilly (ht), Conor Rehill for K Clarke (62), Ryan O’Neill for Madden (64).
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)
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