Cavan see off McEntee's Sligo to reach Tailteann Cup final 

Cavan's Raymond Galligan celebrates. ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Cavan 0-20 Sligo 1-14

Pre-tournament favourites Cavan are through to the inaugural Tailteann Cup football final after holding off a determined Sligo at Croke Park.

Leading by five points at half-time, the 2020 Ulster champions might have been expected to push on for a more comfortable win but in the end were more than happy to finish three clear.

Sligo refused to throw in the towel and were boosted by the half-time introduction of marquee forward Niall Murphy following hamstring trouble.

Murphy scored four second-half points and helped to get the margin back to just two points on a couple of occasions late on but Cavan held on with star duo Gearoid McKiernan and Gerard Smith registering crucial late points.

Cavan will return to Croke Park in just under three weeks for a July 9 final clash with Westmeath or Offaly on the undercard to the All-Ireland SFC semi-final meeting of Galway/Armagh and Derry/Clare.

Sligo declined to start Murphy following a hamstring injury and they missed his quality initially, the underdogs wasting a series of opportunities throughout the first-half.

Tony McEntee's men registered five wides in that period, dropped four separate score attempts short and had two goal chances - Patrick O'Connor hit the bar in the 28th minute and Mikey Gordon had a shot cleared off the line just before the interval - which came to nought.

Cavan, in contrast, showed a remarkable ability to take any chances that came their way with 11 different Breffni players getting on the scoresheet in the first-half alone.

Martin Reilly got Cavan's first point and was later replaced by Cian Madden who closed out the first-half scoring with a kick from distance that just about dropped over.

In between, the rest of the starting forwards, both midfielders as well as defenders Killian and Conor Brady all split the posts.

Cavan deserved their 0-6 to 0-0 lead after the opening 15 minutes though O'Connor's 20th minute goal came as a lifeline for Sligo which just about kept them in contention.

Having overcome Leitrim on penalties in the quarter-finals, it was another three-pointer from a spot kick for Sligo with O'Connor converting after the onrushing Luke Towey was hauled down by Gerard Smith.

Sligo also clipped two points which came from quick frees, Dublin based Kerryman Pat Spillane notching one and Darragh Cummins the other.

It all added up to a 0-11 to 1-3 half-time lead for Cavan and Killian Clarke Clarke became their 12th different scorer when he found his range in the 45th minute.

James Smith struck his second of the day for Cavan shortly after though Sligo had still eaten into their lead and got the gap down to just two points with 15 minutes to go.

The introduction of Murphy was a game changer with six second-half points coming through the Coolera-Strandhill man.

Murphy scored four himself, won a free which Sean Carrabine converted and played in Spillane for another score.

Two points was as close as the Connacht semi-finalists got though as Cavan kept their noses just about in front with two crucial points from McKiernan and Gerard Smith in the run-in.

Cavan scorers: G McKiernan (1 free), G Smith (0-4); J Smith, C Madden (0-2); P Lynch, R Galligan (1 free), M Reilly, T Galligan, O Kiernan, Conor Brady, Killian Brady, K Clarke (0-1).

Sligo scorers: P O'Connor (1-2, 0-1 mark); N Murphy (0-4); S Carrabine (0-3, 2 frees); P Spillane (0-2); P Hughes, D Cummins, A Reilly (0-1).

Cavan: R Galligan; K Brady, P Faulkner, Conor Brady; Ciaran Brady, J McLoughlin, O Kiernan; K Clarke, T Galligan; S Smith, G McKiernan, G Smith; M Reilly, P Lynch, J Smith.

Subs: C Madden for Reilly (31); O Brady for S Smith (58); C Moynagh for K Brady (66); L Fortune for C Brady (68); C Conroy for Lynch (75).

Sligo: A Devaney; N Mullen, E Lyons, P McNamara; L Towey, D Cummins, P Kilcoyne; P Laffey, P Spillane; M Gordon, A Reilly, K Cawley; S Carrabine, P O'Connor, P Hughes.

Subs: N Murphy for Hughes (h/t); M Walsh for Cawley (53); D Quinn for Cummins (62); C Griffin for Laffey (63); D Conlon for Spillane (70).

Ref: Fergal Kelly (Longford).