With an admirable display at Dunshaughlin on Saturday evening, O'Mahonys saved their senior status by overcoming Seneschalstown in a thrilling second-half

Navan O'Mahonys ...... 1-12
Seneschalstown ......... 1-10

O'Mahonys seemed set for their third defeat of the campaign when trailing by six points shortly after the restart having lost the vastly experienced Kevin Reilly with a hamstring injury minute in the opening minute. 

However, his replacement Patrick Leahy made his mark in the 54th minute when directing the ball to the net with help from Duggie Dillon. 

That score put Davy Nelson's men ahead for the first time, 1-10 to 1-7, and they displayed a strong rearguard action to deny Seneschalstown the result required to avoid the relegation play-offs.  The Yellow Furze side face Dunshaughlin in one of the relegation play-offs. 

O'Mahonys lost their entire half-back line in the opening 23 minutes of their defeat by Na Fianna. In addition, another vastly experienced player - Stephen Bray didn't start here.

Seneschalstown only needed a draw to avoid  the relegation player offs. Such a scenario wouldn't do for the Brews Hill side. The team clad mainly in royal blue took charge in the first 30 minutes. The scoring exploits of Cathal Finnegan and the forward probings of Collie Carr were impressive. 

Mobility was central to the outcome for O'Mahonys. Daragh Maguire, Alan Forde, Dillon and Cathal Smyth were prominent in that reguard. 

Upping their game from the losses to Donaghmore-Ashbourne and Na Fianna, O'Mahonys were disciplined as they chipped away at the deficit. 

Seneschalstown, who led by 1-6 to 0-3 after 32 minutes, undermined their cause with 10 first-half wides when backed by the breeze blowing from the road end. 

An Evan Coffey 45 - helped over by an upright - got O'Mahonys' second-half scoring going. By the water-break they had the gap down to two points. The men in hoops might have had a goal in this phase of the hour but Duggie Dillon's toe-poke from Coffey's cross went narrowly wide. 

Both sides struck some wonderful points. Following the water break such a score from O Coileain - helped by Niall McKeigue - cut the gap to the minimum. 

Brian O'Hanlon was involved in the next point, a fine Jake Regan effort, that levelled matters for the first time, 0-9 to 1-6, in the 49th minute.. 

Seneschalstown responded well to O'Mahonys' rally in the 51st minute when Bryan Clarke pointed a 45-metre free. It was to be the final time that the Yellow Furze outfit led.

Leahy's goal was the next score and proved pivotal as O'Mahonys held on to claim their required win. Seneschalstown's Collie Carr showed admirable resilience to point moments after incurring a knock that look set to put him out of the game. 

When Bray placed Dillon for a point in the second-minute of added time, the electronic scoreboard read 1-12 to 1-8. Another six minutes were played but O'Mahonys limited Seneschaltown to points from Alan Mulvany and Bryan Clarke (free). 

Seneschalstown bossed from the off and reached the water-break leading by 1-3 to 0-2. Cathal Finnegan's quality scores were central to this opening. His goal was the last score in this phase. Post refreshment interval was poor with just three points added - one free to each team before Finnegan closed the half with another excellent score to make 1-5 to 0-3 at half-time.. 

Scorers; O'Mahonys -  Ruairi O Coileain 0-5 (2fs); Patrick Leahy 1-1; Jake Regan, Duggie Dillon 0-2; Evan Coffey (45), Conor Finnegan 0-1 each.

Seneschalstown - Cathal Finnegan 1-3 (0-2 fs); Bryan Clarke 0-3 (2fs); Alan Mulvany, Collie Carr 0-1 each. 

O'Mahonys - Marcas Brennan; Mike O'Reilly, Niall McKeigue, Niall McGrane; Daragh Maguire, Kevin Reilly, Aodhan Mallon; Conor Finnegan, Evan Coffey; Duggie Dillon, Ruairi O Coileain, Alan Forde; Jake Regan, Brian O'Hanlon, Cathal Smyth. Subs - Patrick Leahy for Reilly (3), Eoin Joyce for Mallon (46), Stephen Bray for O'Hanlon (50). 
Black card - Alan Forde (60 + 4).

Seneschalstown - Davy Lyons; Woodley Nicholson, Niall Hickey, Simon Rooney; Adam Carey, Cathal Hickey, Ronan Conneely; Brian Sheridan, Johnny Gilsenan; Dylan Keating, Cathal Finnegan, Adam Mulvany; Eoin Finnegan, Bryan Clarke, Collie Carr. Subs - Stephen Finnegan for Hickey (19), Joe Moore for Gilsenan (46).

Referee - Keith Sheerin (Drumconrath)

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