CAVAN'S footballers took a giant step towards capturing their first All-Ireland under-21 title when they overcame a star-studded Meath side in their semi-final replay at Hyde Park, Roscommon, yesterday.

As in the drawn game at the same venue three weeks ago, Martin McHugh's side had to dig deep against a Meath side who fielded four of their senior stars but were forced to line out without injured full-forward, Barry Callaghan, before emerging as Kerry's All-Ireland final opponents next month.

Aided by a very strong wind in the first half, Cavan's half-time lead of 0-6 to 0-4 looked anything but commanding and they appeared in real trouble after just six minutes of the restart as Meath pulled got back on level terms.

However, it's when faced with adversity that this Cavan team seemed to produce the goods and they fought back tenaciously to lead again through a Dermot McCabe point before Trevor Giles levelled the scores for the third time.

Cavan's influential corner forward, Michael Graham, was proving quite a handful for Meath defender, Mark O'Reilly and it was the Cavan Gaels man who sent midfielder, Dermot McCabe, goalwards 10 minutes into the half. McCabe's shot came off the woodwork but fell kindly to Jason Reilly, who buried the ball past Cormac O'Sullivan.

Two minutes later, Graham again found he couldn't beat the Meath goalkeeper after a quick free from Anthony Forde split the Meath defence, but the ball was cleared and a quickly taken free found Ollie Murphy in behind the Cavan defence at the other end. The Meath corner forward unleashed an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net to tie the scores yet again.

Cavan held their nerve and encouraged by some tremendous defending, they were able to work the ball up-field to open up a two-point gap (1-9 to 1-7) by the three quarter mark with scores from Forde and McCabe.

Richie Kealyand Roy Brehnan exchanged points before Graham deservedly put his name on the scoresheet and sent Meath in search of a goal in the closing stages. Their best chance fell to Murphy with three minutes remaining, but his shot was forced out for 45.

A dramatic goal two minutes into injury time proved the talking point of this poor Leitrim senior football championship final before an attendance of 1,500 at Pairc Sean Mhic Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon, yesterday. Allen Gaels, Drumshanbo were trailing the champions, St Mary's, Carrick-on-Shannon, by three points (1-7 to 0-7) with time running out when Gareth McWeeney scored an equalising goal.