Minute-by-minute action O'Rourke: Cavan were better Match pictures

Despite having Pearse McKenna sent off after only 37 seconds the Breffni boys were within minutes of achieving one of the shocks of the season.

However, two late points in added time by Brian Mallon and Darmuid Marsden saw a stuttering Orchard County side home.

Oisin McConville top-scored with five excellent points while Steven McDonnell chipped in with a couple.

Cavan's top marksman was youngster Michael Lyng who rifled over four frees while the excellent Gerald Pearson found the target with three points.

But Cavan will be kicking themselves for letting go the chance of a famous victory after playing with such fluency and dogged determination for most of the game with a man down.

They had dramatically left Dermot McCabe on the bench at kick-off although he did come on for Peter O'Reilly in the 27th minute.

The dramatic dismissal of McKenna who received his marching orders from Kildare referee Michael Monagan after swinging his arm at Francie Bellew, did not appear to faze Eamonn Coleman's side.

They responded with some sparkling play with Lyng giving them the lead with his first free.

Armagh hit back to lead 0-3 to 0-1 with McConville, Ronan Clarke and McDonnell all splitting the posts.

Cavan boss Eamonn Coleman during the tense battle with Armagh

However, Cavan, who were winning most of the breaking ball, battled away and at the break were only 0-5 to 0-4 behind.

Just before the half-time whistle, McConville was unlucky not to have scored a goal when he half-volleyed the ball into the net only for the referee to call for a hand-pass infringement by McDonnell.

Although Armagh went ahead on the resumption through another McConville free, it was Cavan who suffocated the life out of the favourites.

Cavan surged three points ahead in the 47th minute with a Lyng free and a brace of points by Pearson ding the damage.

But when Armagh boss Joe Kernan brought on old campaigners Kieran McGeeney and Marsden, the game swung against the Breffni Blues.

First it was McConville who levelled at 0-11 apiece right on full-time, then Marsden bulleted over a point and then Mallon made sure in the fifth minute of injury time.

However, Armagh will need to show a marked improvement if they are to make claim to an Ulster title against the winners of the other semi-final between Donegal and Tyrone.

Armagh: P Hearty, E McNulty, F Bellew, A Mallon, K Hughes, A O'Rourke, A McCann, J Toal, P McGrane, P McKeever (0-1), T McEntee, O McConville (0-5), S McDonnell (0-2), R Clarke (0-1), M O'Rourke. Substitutes: B Mallon (0-2), D Marsden (0-1), K McElvanna (0-1)

Cavan: E Elliott; C Collins, D Rabbit, R Donahoe; A Forde, A Gaynor, K Crotty; P McKenna, T Crowe, L Reilly (0-3); M Lyng (0-4), M McKeever, J O'Reilly; P Reilly, G Pearson (0-3). Substitute: D McCabe (0-1).

Referee: M Monahan (Kildare).

In the Minor semi-final Down defeated Armagh 0-14 to 1-07.