Both Cavan senior football championship semi-finals will have to be replayed after ending in draws in Kingscourt over the weekend.

This evening Castlerahan and Lavey could not be separated as it finished 0-12 apiece at O Raghallaigh Park, where Stephen Jordan’s injury-time point secured a second bite at the cherry for Lavey.

The New Inns side had made the better start to the contest with points from Jordan, Chris Conroy, Karl Duke and Shane Tierney putting them into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 13 minutes against the favourites.

A superbly taken ‘45’ from Conroy then made it a three-point game before the beaten finalists from the last three years came roaring back with scores by Cian Mackey, Enda Flanagan and Shane O’Reilly to restore parity.

Sean Brady and Tierney traded scores, as did Jordan and Ronan Flanagan to leave the scoreboard reading 0-7 each at the interval and another ‘45’ from marksman Conroy had Kevin McDonnell’s charges back in front early in the restart.

Flanagan and Fergal Reilly steered Castlerahan in front on 42 minutes and they looked likely for another final berth once Oisin O’Connell and Paul Smith looped over points that outweighed a Conroy free.

Duke thinned down the margin to one again but another from Ronan Flanagan kept the Ballyjamesduff men’s lead cushioned heading for the home stretch.

Lavey just didn’t know when to throw in the towel though and after some persistence they got their just rewards as Darragh Conaty’s point on the hour was backed up by Jordan keeping his cool and snatching a replay two minutes later.

Yesterday, Cian Madden’s injury-time point saved a draw for Gowna against Crosserlough as it finished 1-8 to 0-11 at the same Meath border club venue.

Crosserlough led by 0-7 to 0-3 at half-time but their Longford border counterparts were greatly aided by a Ryan McGahern goal in the 40th minute and they were able to earn a second chance by putting their faith in ex-county minor Madden at the finish.  

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