Having sent the tie to a rematch with a last gasp equaliser last weekend, the Breffni men brushed up on their finishing, and did enough to make it through to a last four meeting with Tyrone a fortnight today.

Whether they can add the extra percentage points of progress and improvement before that clash remains to be seen, but at least they have something to work on.

For Antrim, it's an uncertain future in the All-Ireland Qualifiers, but should the first round draw be kind to Mickey Culbert's side, they could enjoy a run this season.

With the wind in their backs, Cavan were dominant for long periods of the first half, but missed a goal chance when Jason O'Reilly's snapshot was superbly kept out by goalkeeper Patrick Murray.

A two points lead by the mid point of the first half was scant reward for Cavan's dominance, and having kicked seven wides, they were clearly still struggling to correct the failings that ha almost cost them so dearly last weekend.

And they were made to pay the price when Kevin Brady sent in a sideline ball, centre forward Paul Doherty collected and blasted a low shot past goalkeeper James O'Reilly.

Suddenly Antrim were level, but they failed to build on the momentum that the goal gave them, and Jason O'Reilly clipped over a couple of delightful points to get the men in blue back on track.

Kevin Madden, who still hadn't scored, was forced to drift deep to forage for possession, and with just two scores on the board, Antrim face a stiff examination of their temperament and stomach for the fight as they went in at the break trailing by 0-8 to 1-1.

But Casement Park was rocking within 20 seconds of the restart when Doherty grabbed his second goal, fisting home from close range after substitute Brendan Herron had sent a screamer crashing against the crossbar.

Once again, it was Cavan who responded, with Finbar O'Reilly and Larry Reilly posting scores at the other end.

Alarming gaps were beginning to open up in the Saffron defence, and they were fully exploited by Larry, who kicked three points from play in the space of three minutes.

Kevin Brady became the first Antrim forward to score a point, but as they became increasingly ragged at the back, they found it increasingly difficult to contain the speedy Cavan attack.

Nicholas Murphy waltzed through unopposed to set up Jason O'Reilly's fourth point, and it was a reflection on the desperation and frustration of Antrim's evening when Kevin Madden, their top attacker over the past half dozen seasons, was substituted 15 minutes from the end, having failed to score.

Jason O'Reilly twisted the knife in the 61st minute when he got in behind a flat-footed Antrim defence to collect a driven free from Dermot McCabe to shoot low to the net for an eight points advantage.

Cavan had finally addressed their wastefulness, and a 1-6 return, with just one second half wide, made for happier reflection as the game slipped into its final five minutes.