Cavan are on the brink of promotion back to Division 2 of the Allianz Football League after producing the second-half goods to defeat Down by 2-14 to 1-10 at Kingspan Breffni.

Paddy Lynch bagged both goals for the Breffni men late on as they recorded their fifth straight win and handed the visitors their second in process.

Miceal Rooney’s superb goal gave Down the perfect start against the league leaders but they’d only manage two more points for the rest of the first-half, as the sides went in all square (0-5 to 1-2).

Old reliables Dara McVeety and Gearoid McKiernan kicked points that had the Blues out in front in the third quarter and, while Donnacha McAleece’s would see the gap reduced to two for the Mourne men, Lynch’s first goal was a hammer blow and the Crosserlough man’s second in injury-time cemented the win. It sees Cavan stay two points clear at the top of the Division 3 table with two rounds remaining and promotion all but secured.

In Ederney, Fermanagh continued their own promotion push with a comfortable 2-11 to 0-8 win against Tipperary.

Kieran Donnelly’s men had been a point to the good when the in-form Sean Quigley hammered to the Tipp net on nine minutes and another major via Aidan Breen sent them towards commanding 2-6 to 0-3 half-time lead.

Teddy Doyle hit an early brace to give the visitors some hope for the second-half but Shane McGullion and Breen raised white flags at the other end on the way to Fermanagh’s fourth win of the campaign.

Westmeath were in ruthless form as they crushed Antrim with a 4-27 to 0-8 victory in Mullingar to bounce back from last weekend’s loss to Down.

John Heslin starred with 1-12 for the Tailteann Cup champions while Sam McCartan and Ronan O’Toole also proved a thorn in the Saffrons’ side throughout.

Heslin hit the first five scores of the game as his side had 1-6 on the board before the visitors got off the mark and they’d move up the gears to thrash the Ulster opposition in the end and keep themselves in the promotion hunt with two rounds to go.

Offaly ensured that Longford’s woes continued by edging a 2-14 to 1-16 win at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

After an airtight first-half that saw them level six times, the sides went in all square on 1-9 apiece and it was Longford that had built up a three-point lead after 10 minutes of the restart.

The hosts had chances to add to their lead but didn’t take them and the Faithful men punished them in the 55th minute when sub Jack Bryant broke through and hammered to their net.

The momentum was with Offaly after that and points from Bernard Allen and sub Cian Farrell would be enough despite a late push from Paddy Christie’s now very much relegation-threatened team.

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