Cavan 0-13
Fermanagh 0-11

Cavan will face Monaghan for a place in the Ulster final after two late Martin Dunne points saw them edge out Fermanagh at Brewster Park.

With security tight around Enniskillen ahead of this week's G8 Summit, an attendance of just 9,352 witnessed a game which didn't come to life until the second half when the home side put a dreadful first half showing behind them to level with 13 minutes remaining.

But, crucially, they couldn't get their noses in front as Cavan showed the greater composure in the closing stages to eke out a two-point victory and secure back-to-back wins in the Ulster SFC for the first time since 2001.

Things could have turned out much differently for Fermanagh had they not played so poorly in the opening half. It took them 26 minutes to get their first score, by which time Cavan were 0-4 to 0-0 in front. The introduction of Tomas Corrigan - who had been selected to start - injected new life into the Erne County's attack, but they still trailed by four, 0-3 to 0-7, at half-time.

Fermanagh were much improved after the restart and with another sub, Daniel Kille, impressing from frees, they levelled for the first time in the 57th minute, 0-11 apiece. The game was now in the melting pot, and Cavan full forward Martin Dunne proved the match-winner with two points (one from a free) in the final five minutes to gives the visitors the win.

Fermanagh took a leaf out of the Wexford hurlers' book by making three changes to the side named during the week. Eoin Donnelly, who suffered a broken leg in the spring, was drafted into the starting line-up along with Tommy McElroy and Brian Cox. Bizarrely, two of the players to make way - Tomas Corrigan and James Sherry - had taken part in the parade.

Eyebrows were also raised at the decision by the Fermanagh management to leave out former All Star full back Barry Owens and replace him with Cox on the edge of the square.

If Fermanagh had set out with the intention of bamboozling their opponents, it certainly didn't work as Cavan dominated the early exchanges. Midfielder Damien O'Reilly kicked the opening score after four minutes before Niall McDermott quickly followed up with a second after Sean Quigley had been blocked down at the other end.

A foul on David Givney by Marty McGrath yielded Cavan's third point from a McDermott free in the sixth minute. Fermanagh should have been awarded a '45 when Sean Quigley's free was finger-tipped over the end-line by Cavan goalkeeper Conor Gilsenan before a Paul Ward free came back off the post after Ryan Jones had been fouled.

Fermanagh's short hand-passing game clearly wasn't working against Cavan's mass defence. Time and again, they got themselves into a scoring position, only to give the ball away cheaply. As the hosts became increasingly frustrated, man of the match Cian Mackey made it 0-4 to 0-0 in the 24th minute. Cavan would have been further ahead at this stage but for a tally of five wides.

Two minutes later, Fermanagh finally got on the scoreboard when Ryan Jones held off the challenge of Damien O'Reilly to kick over. Martin Dunne - the hero of the Breffni County's preliminary round win over Armagh - made it a four-point game once again, either side of Declan McKiernan replacing James McEnroe on the Cavan team and Tomas Corrigan coming on for Paul Ward in the Fermanagh attack.

Kinawley clubman Corrigan made an instant impact by sending over a point with his first touch. The Ernesiders were finally settling to their task as Sean Quigley fielded a high ball and set up wing back Declan McCusker for their third point to leave just two in it.

Quigley missed the chance to narrow the gap further when he dropped a free short. That miss proved costly as the visitors finished the half with a brace of points from Eugene Keating, the first coming after Declan McKiernan's initial shot had been brilliantly blocked down.

Fermanagh introduced Daniel Kille to their attack in place of Conor Quigley for the second half, and the Lisnaskea dead-ball specialist emerged as a central figure in their comeback. Eoin Donnelly opened the second half scoring for Peter Canavan's men before Kille converted his first free. In the 41st minute, Marty McGrath scored the hosts' third point on the trot to leave the minimum in it, 0-6 to 0-7.

Martin Dunne responded with a 43rd minute free after Niall McDermott had been fouled. Martin Reilly, who had come on for Jack Brady moments earlier, followed up with the Breffni County's ninth point before another Kielt free reduced the gap to two again.

Dunne got out in front of his marker to kick a beauty, but the momentum remained with Fermanagh as Corrigan pointed from an acute angle before sending in a high ball which Sean Quigley punched over. Quigley missed the chance to bring Fermanagh level before Eugene Keating gave Terry Hyland's charges some breathing space again with a brilliant score on the run.

Kille then landed two frees as the Ernesiders regained parity for the first time. As the tension mounted, Keating and David Keating shot wides for Cavan, while Kille was off target from a free at the opposite end.

Cavan also dropped two balls into the arms of Fermanagh 'keeper Chris Snow before Peter Canavan introduced Barry Owens for Sean Quigley. The game was now inside its final five minutes and, just as he had done against Armagh, Martin Dunne stepped up to the plate with a sublime lead point from close to the stand sideline.

Substitute Shane Lyons missed a chance to level before Dunne was also wide from a free. But the Cavan Gaels number 14 made amends in the first minute of injury-time when he popped over the insurance point from a free after Niall McDermott had been fouled.

Cavan: C Gilsenan, J McLoughlin, R Dunne, K Clarke, J McEnroe, A Clarke, R Flanagan, D O'Reilly (0-1), D Givney, C Mackey (0-1), J Brady, F Flanagan, N McDermott (0-2, 1f), M Dunne (0-5, 2f), E Keating (0-3). Subs: D McKiernan for McEnroe, M Reilly (0-1) for Brady, T Corr for McKiernan, N Murray for McDermott.

Fermanagh: C Snow, J Woods, B Cox, D Kelly, D McCusker (0-1), R McCluskey, M O'Brien, E Donnelly (0-1), M McGrath (0-1), C Quigley, S McCabe, R Jones (0-1), P Ward, S Quigley (0-1), T McElroy. Subs: T Corrigan (0-2) for Ward, D Kille (0-4, 4f) for C Quigley, S Lyons for McGrath, B Owens for S Quigley.

Referee: C Reilly (Meath). Tweet

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