Cavan 1-8 Meath 1-6: The belated suspense, packed into the four minutes of time added on, could not even go close to compensating for a dour match of hit-and-miss football in Clones yesterday.
Cavan got through to the last 12 because they were the better team by a distance.
Meath were dreadful. Still they were handed a lifeline which they didn't deserve in the form of a penalty after another indiscreet foul was committed well into stoppage time. Cavan seemed set for victory with a four-point cushion at this stage and had reason to regret tagging on nine second-half wides.
Alarm bells rang deafeningly loud in Cavan ears as the 18,143 crowd waited for Graham Geraghty's attempt to reduce the deficit to the minimum. The great Meath veteran slotted a sizzler of a goal inches inside James Reilly's right post.
Reilly's subsequent kick-out was belted into the Meath half where another one of those fouls, euphemistically described by Seán Boylan as silly, gave Finbarr Reilly a chance from 41 meters to crucially enhance Cavan's slender advantage.
The kick was dead centre but the pressure on Reilly was enormous. From the moment Reilly struck the ball it was destined to float over straight and high. The crowd were now almost forgetting the poor quality of football not to mention the six yellow cards that had precluded this grandstand finish.
There was additional drama at the death. Joe Sheridan's shot was turned away on the right for the first 45 of the match. Kelly's effort was kicked about 12 yards, apparently meant to be a pass for someone, only for the final whistle to bring the whole sorry mess to an end.
We could also have done without the ugly sight of players throwing punches going into the dressing room for the half-time break.
The process of scraping the barrel for highlights would possibly result in finding three: Dermot McCabe's determined 40-yard solo, taking on the whole Meath cover before kicking a point less than 20 seconds into the second half; Geraghty's penalty and Reilly landing that 41-yard point.
Darren Fay's handling of the early threat posed by Jason Reilly after the Trim man was switched back in a central defensive swap with Kevin Reilly is also worthy of mention.
The untidy pattern and general dog-fight was signposted from the start. Yellow cards were flashed, six in all. Cavan's territorial advantage was reflected by the number wides - 17 in all. Meath were wayward on 11 occasions, but they did not enjoy the same quality of opportunity as the Ulster men.
Jason O'Reilly's 22nd-minute goal was as cheeky as they come. He benefited from a McCabe midfield delivery, got inside the weak Meath cover and sidestepped Meath goalkeeper David Gallagher before slotting home.
Cavan led by 1-4 to 0-4 at the break but immediately after O'Reilly's goal Graham Geraghty was unlucky to see his worthy effort come back off James Reilly.
Boylan's last throw of the dice saw seasoned campaigners Ollie Murphy and Paddy Reynolds introduced but to no avail.
CAVAN: J Reilly, M Hannon, D Rabbitt, P O'Reilly, M Cahill, A Forde, P Reilly, D McCabe (0-1), P McKenna, M McKeever, N Walsh, F O'Reilly (0-2, frees), S Johnston (0-2), J O'Reilly (1-1), L Reilly (0-2). Subs: M Lyng for Walsh (50 mins), C Collins for Rabbitt (53 mins), P Brady for P McKenna (61), C Mackey for Johnston (62 mins).
MEATH: D Gallagher, N McKeigue, K Reilly, C King, T O'Connor, D Fay, M O'Reilly, N Crawford, A Moyles, J Sheridan (0-3), D Crimmins, P Byrne (0-1), G Geraghty (1-1, pen goal), R Magee (0-1), S Bray. Subs: M Burke for Crimmins (45 mins), N Kelly for Byrne (52 mins), O Murphy for Bray (53 mins), P Reynolds for O'Connor (55 mins).
Referee: G O'Conamha (Galway).
