Ulster SFC First-round replay/ Cavan 3-13 Down 2-12: This barnstorming, epic replay lit up the Ulster championship but above all it was a triumph for Eamonn Coleman's tactical nous, which majestically transformed his side's first-half mediocrity into match-winning excellence.

It was a match top-heavy with the ingredients for a titanic battle, and a responsive crowd of 21,759 were enchanted by the relentless and passionate flow of the play. Sadly, it got nasty at times and Meath referee Séamus McCormack flashed 13 yellow cards as well as two reds.

The absorbing clash produced a scintillating second half from success-hungry Cavan, who conjured up a miracle recovery to book a semi-final meeting with Armagh on Sunday week.

Besides losing so frustratingly, Down face the prospect of having to fork out a fine of €1,000 iafter linking arms for Amhrán na bhFiann.

Coleman's throw of the dice came as early as half-time when he introduced the walking wounded, Dermot McCabe, Peter Reilly and Cathal Collins.

In opting for McCabe, who is awaiting surgery on a knee injury, Coleman was making a huge gamble. But the big Gowna man proved the solution to Cavan's main attacking problems.

Admittedly, all three substitutes began the second half quietly enough but soon Coleman's strategy began to work.

Cavan badly needed a big target man as was clearly in evidence in the first half, when their short game failed dismally. Their long deliveries too were wasted because of a combination of the brilliance of Down goalkeeper Michael McVeigh and inadequate fielders in the front line of attack.

McCabe was the answer, and his heroics put the gloss on Cavan's second-half effort.

With the Gowna man isolated, posing Down full back Alan Molloy a mammoth task, three goals arrived through the agency of Jason O'Reilly, McCabe and Peter Reilly, turning the match on its head and leaving Down - who had seemed home and dry when leading by seven points 22 minutes into the second half - struggling to keep pace.

Coleman insisted later he never believed his side were beaten and was confident his reshuffle could undo Down's half-time lead of 2-6 to 0-7.

"We were caught by two sucker goals," he said of those Down scores.

When Larry O'Reilly was sent off with the score at 2-8 to 0-9, some 15 minutes into the second half, a Down victory seemed beyond doubt.

But that dismissal was offset when Down corner back Adrian Scullion saw red.

In between, Cavan, with Anthony Gaynor inspiring from the back, launched their winning bid. McCabe rounded off a Peter Reilly-inspired move with a great goal. Reilly himself stepped up to kick the second 20 minutes into the second half to put Cavan in front 2-12 to 2-11, and despite a huge point off a 60-metre free by Greg McCartan to make a draw look probable, Cavan finished in a flurry with a Jason O'Reilly point and a cheeky goal by the same player off a McCabe pass.

A disgusted Down manager Paddy O'Rourke could not resist criticising the referee, citing in particular the build-up to two of Cavan's goals.

O'Rourke said: "There was a push in the back for the first - we should have been awarded a free - and the second goal came after the ball was picked up straight off the ground.

"It was a very tough match and you had to be tough to play in it," said Coleman, adding: "If Anthony Gaynor is not singled out for special praise it would be remarkable."

On the question of McCabe's introduction, Coleman quipped: "We will have him on two legs for the match against Armagh."

A frustrated O'Rourke commented: "We should have won the match when leading by seven points. However, we learned a lot about our team today."

CAVAN: E Elliott; E Reilly, D Rabbit, P Brady; A Forde, T Crowe (0-1), A Gaynor; P McKenna (0-1), K Crotty; L Reilly, M Lyng (0-4, frees), M McKeever (0-3, 2 frees); G Pearson (0-1), J O'Reilly (1-2), S Johnston. Subs: C Collins for Crotty, D McCabe (1-0) for Pearson, P Reilly (1-1) for Johnston (all half-time), R Donohoe for Brady (59 mins), S Brady for McKeever (70 mins).

DOWN: M McVeigh; B Grant, A Molloy, A Scullion; J Clarke, M Cole, S Farrell; B Coulter (2-2), G McCartan (0-3, frees); A O'Prey (0-3), S Ward, R Sexton; E McCartan, D Gordon (0-1), D Hughes (0-2, 1 free). Subs: R Murtagh (0-1) for Ward (22 mins), A Rodgers for Sexton (52 mins), J Lavery for E McCartan (60 mins).

Referee: S McCormack (Meath)