Allianz Football League Division 2: Cavan 1-20 Meath 1-13
 
By Paul Keane in Navan
 
Former captain Seanie Johnston turned in a stunning display as Cavan remarkably came from eight points down in Navan to overcome Meath, picking up their first win of the Division 2 campaign.
 
Ex-Kildare player Johnston was starting his first game of the season but contributed six points to keep Cavan's hopes alive of avoiding relegation after two previous defeats.
 
David Givney's 45th minute goal was crucial, giving Cavan the belief to fight back from eight points down after 39 minutes to win by seven just half an hour or so later.
 
It was a stunning collapse from hosts Meath who scored just six points in Fermanagh in Round 2 and needed a home win to keep alive their promotion hopes.
 
A bad day at the office for Meath was compounded deep into injury-time as goalkeeper Paddy O'Rourke was dismissed.
 
Meath came out on top when the sides met at the same venue in the final round of last year's Division 2 campaign.
 
Both sides had the potential to gain promotion in that game though while Meath won by two, results elsewhere went against them.
 
The stakes weren't as high this time, though Terry Hyland's Cavan did require a win to ease their relegation fears after a pointless start.
 
They lost narrowly to Tyrone and Derry and knew that a third straight defeat would leave them favourites for relegation.
 
As for Meath, they started the campaign well with an impressive win over Armagh before that loss in Fermanagh.
 
It was an energetic opening from both sides in ideal conditions, though on a pitch that was heavily sanded. Cavan had plenty of opportunities but blasted nine first-half wides. Johnston scored two points but was responsible for a couple of misses too and also hit the cross bar.
 
Meath were far more efficient at the other end and hit the interval with a commanding 1-9 to 0-5 lead.
 
Free-taker Mickey Newman helped himself to four points while Eamon Wallace grabbed 1-1 in that opening half.
 
Wallace's 22nd minute goal was a beauty as the former sprinter raced clear, playing clever one-twos with Mickey Burke and Donnacha Tobin before toe poking in from a tight angle.
 
Meath moved eight clear after the restart but the second-half was all about Cavan as they sensationally outscored Meath by 1-15 to 0-4 in that period.
 
It had obvious echoes of last summer when Meath let slip a 10-point advantage to lose to Westmeath in the Championship.
 
Cavan were completely on top and scored two separate bursts of four points without reply to kill off Meath long before full-time.
 
***
 
Scorers for Cavan: Seanie Johnston 0-6 (0-2f), David Givney 1-0, Dara McVeety 0-3, Conor Moynagh 0-2, Niall Murray 0-2, Gearoid McKiernan 0-2, Paul O'Connor 0-1, Michael Argue 0-1, Jason McLoughlin 0-1, Raymond Galligan 0-1 (0-1f), Tomas Corr 0-1.
 
Scorers for Meath: Eamon Wallace 1-3, Mickey Newman 0-4 (0-3f), Sean Tobin 0-3 (0-2f), Graham Reilly 0-2, Donnacha Tobin 0-1.
 
Cavan: Raymond Galligan; Padraig Faulkner, Killian Clarke, Jason McLoughlin; Gearoid McKiernan, Conor Moynagh, Ciaran Brady; Tomas Corr, Feargal Flanagan; Dara McVeety, David Givney, Martin Reilly; Cian Mackey, Michael Argue, Seanie Johnston. Subs: Niall Murray for Flanagan (42), Killian Brady for Reilly (45), Paul O'Connor for Mackey (57), Jack Brady for Johnston (69), Levi Murphy for McLoughlin (72), Brian Sankey for McKiernan (74).
 
Meath: Paddy O'Rourke; Brian Power, Conor McGill, Donal Keogan; Darragh Smyth, Padraic Harnan, Mickey Burke; Harry Rooney, Graham Reilly; Eamon Wallace, Cillian O'Sullivan, Donnacha Tobin; Sean Tobin, Mickey Newman, Donal Lenihan. Subs: Cathal Finn for Smyth (8), James O'Reilly for Finn (27), Andrew Tormey for Power (52), Mark Battersby for O'Sullivan (64).
 
Referee: Rory Hickey (Clare).