Reduced to 14 men before the interval, St Michael's still managed to overcome a wasteful St Mary's side at Cusack Park, Mullingar yesterday.
The visitors made a blistering start with captain Keith Hamilton shooting 1-2 in the opening eight minutes. The dismissal of half back Andrew Duffy left St Michael's with a hill to climb, but they held out to lead at the break by 1-3 to 0-4.
Six minutes into the second half, a Ronan Whelan goal put St Mary's ahead and the home side could have won but for some dreadful finishing. St Michael's struck the winner 11 minutes from time when Derek Donoghue pounced for a goal.
ST MICHAEL'S, TRIM: M Conway; S McDonagh, C O'Rafferty, W Leonard; A Duffy, E Lynham, C Mulvenna; F Murphy, T Doherty; S Clynch, D Donoghue (1-0), C Ryan (0-1), M Burke, K Hamilton (1-3), S McDonald (0-1). Subs: B Dixon for Ryan, G Geoghegan. ST MARY'S,
MULLINGAR: R Wallace; A Fox, D Cole, F Newman; B Marshall, D O'Donoghue (0-1), J Maher; A Clinton, J Nohilly (0-2); P Tormey (0-1), N McGurran (0-1), M Cunningham; D Noonan, A Hickey (0-1), R Whelan (1-0). Subs: E Kincaid for Tormey, D Windsor for Whelan, S Russell for McGurran.
Referee: P Finnegan (Louth).
