Roscommon 2-13 Cavan 1-15

Interim manager Paul Earley's tenure ended on a winning note as Roscommon belatedly opened their win account in this year's National Football League.

In the battle of Division 2's relegated sides, Karol Mannion's late penalty goal erased Cavan's three-point lead.

Substitute Seamus O'Neill then landed a 40-metre point to seal the Rossies' win.

Seanie Johnston kicked 0-07 and he set up Ronan Flanagan's tenth-minute goal as Cavan took a 1-08 to 1-04 interval lead.

Teed up by Senan Kilbride, Jonathan Dunning had slotted home the visitors' 30th-minute goal and the visitors' sheer determination saw them take the spoils.

Roscommon were missing injured forward Ger Heneghan and there was a full 11 changes to the side that started their hammering by Dublin two weeks ago.

Only goalkeeper Geoffrey Claffey, Anthony McDermott, Sean McDermott and John Tiernan remained in their selected positions as Earley rejigged his starting line-up.

Cavan, beaten 0-10 to 0-06 by Westmeath last time out, made one change to their team with Declan Gaffney coming in for Dermot McCabe at midfield.

In a bright opening, Cavan were 1-02 to 0-01 to the good by the tenth minute. Karol Mannion landed the game's opening point, followed by two Johnston frees and Flanagan's goal.

Johnston made the goal with a clever hand-pass in for Flanagan to blast past Claffey.

Senan Kilbride, who took on the free-taking duties, fired a placed ball through the uprights in reply, while Mark McKeever registered Cavan's third point.

After another Kilbride free, the Breffni men edged further ahead when Johnston (free) and McKeever added to their personal tallies.

Johnston finished the half with four points to his name, while Kilbride was one behind him.

Full-forward Dunning's goal came at a good time for the Rossies but Cavan closed the opening period well with white flags from Martin Reilly (0-02) and Johnston.

By the 52nd minute, Cavan were still slightly on top. Johnston had added three points, two frees and a punched effort, while Roscommon's total had been boosted to 1-09 by Kilbride, Mannion and Dunning.

The Connacht side's good work looked to have been undone when Flanagan popped two successive points over Claffey's crossbar for a 1-15 to 1-12 Cavan lead.

However, Earley got a great send-off from his players as Mannion, adding to his three points from play, bulged the net with a penalty, drawing the sides level.

Better was to come in injury-time. Cavan clammed up and substitute Seamus O'Neill picked off a fine match-winning point to see the Rossies move off the bottom of the Division 2 table.