Right from the off Fermanagh took control of the match with Barry Owens and Martin McGrath dominating the midfield exchanges and it did not take them long to get scores on to the board. By the fifth minute Fermanagh were in a 0-03-0-00 lead with the points coming from two Ronan McCabe free kicks, one of which was a fine kick from wide on the right, and the other from Brendan McBrien following some good play by Shane Lyons.

    When Ronan McCabe fed Brendan McBrien to put Fermanagh into a four point lead the Cavan defence was really at sixes and sevens and it was no great surprise to see Cavan make an early substition and a defensive reshuffle. Cavan captain Edward Jackson moving from midfield to centre back to pick up the industrious McCabe was among the changes.

    Martin McGrath knocked over a fine point from 30 yards to give Fermanagh a five point lead before Cormac Nelligan slotted over a free in one of Cavan’s rare excursions into the Fermanagh half to get Cavan finally of the mark after 14 minutes.

    The pressure on the Cavan defence was to continue with goalkeeper James Reilly saving from a Ronan McCabe effort before McCabe pointed after good build up play from Mark Little and Ciaran McElroy. Brendan McBrien was causing the Cavan defence all sorts of bother and with his original marker already being substituted he began to torment his new marker. He added his third and Fermanagh’s seventh point in the 20th minute leaving the scoreline 0-07 to 0-01 in favour of the Ernemen.

    Cavan scored their second point two minutes later when Gavin Fitzsimmons tapped over a 21 yard free but yet again Fermanagh replied with McBrien scoring another excellent point and McCabe pointing two more free kicks, the second of which was a superbly struck effort of the outside of the foot. This was to be the last action of the half and Fermanagh found themselves going in confidently at half time, leading by 0-10 to 0-2.

    The half time whistle would have been a great relief to Cavan as Fermanagh were on top in every sector of the pitch. Cavan were finding it difficult to get the ball past the Fermanagh midfield and on the few occasions that they did manage to launch attacks they were met by some resolute defending with Ryan McCluskey and Niall Keenan impressing.

    The second half started scrappily but the Cavan management’s team talk must have worked as it did not take them long to double their points tally, thanks to two converted frees from Gavin Fitzsimmons. Fermanagh’s response was another Brendan McBrien point but Fermanagh were not to score for another 22 minutes as Cavan’s confidence began to grow.

    Cavan began to get a foot hold in the midfield battle ground with John Tierney winning a lot of possession. Corner forward Michael Brides was also coming well into the game and unsettling the Fermanagh defence with his ability to run with the ball.

    The Fermanagh rearguard were really getting tested and any indiscretions inside the “40” were being punished by Cavan free taker, Gavin Fitzsimmons, who was striking the ball very well. Fitzsimmons knocked over the next three points, all from frees, to cut Fermanagh’s lead to 0-11 to 0-07. Into the last couple of minutes and Fitzsimmons again pointed a free with substitute Niall O’Rourke adding another point following a miss hit free and Fermanagh’s once unassailable lead was now down to just two points.

    Fermanagh, though, dug deep and when McCabe struck a point via the upright it again gave them breathing space. Cavan did not give up and that man Fitzsimmons added another point but it was too little too late as the game entered the fourth minute of injury time Mark Little drove over from an acute angle to assure Fermanagh of a place in the final.

    This was a very solid performance from Fermanagh with some excellent performers throughout the field. The first half was a dazzling display and while the second was spent a lot more on the back foot it was also an excellent defensive showing which was made clear by the fact that Cavan only scored one of their points from play.

    In defence Ryan McCluskey again put in a superb display and was ably assisted by Niall Keenan and Colum Monaghan both of whom got through a huge amount of work . At midfield Martin McGrath worked tirelessly and in the attack Ronan McCabe and Brendan McBrien gave an exhibition of score taking from frees and from play.

    Fermanagh - S Boyle, S Lyons, K Gunn, R McCluskey, C Monahan, N Keenan, N Cunningham, M McGrath (0-1), B Owens, S Leonards, R McCabe (0-6), C McIlroy, A Little, M Little (0-1), B McBrian (0-5). Subs: C Boyle for Monahan, G Maguire for McIlroy, S Leonard for Lyons, S McCabe for Leonard.

    Cavan - J Reilly, P Fitzsimmons, C Hannon, D Rabbit, S McGlade, D Fitzsimmons, A Mulvey, E Jackson, D Gaffney, G Fitzsimmons (0-8), D McConnell, C Nelligan (0-1), B Cunningham, J Tierney, M Brides. Subs: N O’Rourke (0-1), A Coleman, P O’Donnell.