In a crucial battle between ninth-placed Navan and tenth-placed Malone at Balreask Old, Navan secured a convincing victory in Round Fourteen of the Energia All-Ireland League Men's Division 2A. The home side's performance was a stark contrast to their previous close defeat, earning them a vital bonus-point win.

Malone took an early lead with a try in the fifth minute,Quick passing phases allowed Malone's Hooker to score to the right of the posts. Navan responded swiftly with a try by Harry Hester, from the restart Navan got into the visitors' half, converted by Rory Gordon, leveling the score at 7-7. Navan dominated the first half, with Leon Akopian from a Catch and drive off a lineout grounding the ball in the left corner and Jamie Kavanagh off a lineout penalty inside Malone's 5m, caught and driven over, adding two more tries before halftime. Rory Gordon's conversions put Navan ahead 21-7 at the break.

Malone started strong in the second half, scoring two unconverted tries, the first their forwards getting over to the left corner and another maul over for a grounding from a lineout, taking advantage of wetter conditions. However, Navan showcased resilience, securing two more tries through Jamie Kavanagh scoring from a lineout. and Captain Sean McEntagart breaking through to score to the left of the posts.. Rory Gordon's successful conversions extended Navan's lead to 35-17. In the closing minutes, Gordon himself broke through on the left wing, ran the length of the touchline, and scored in the left corner, sealing a comprehensive victory for Navan at 42-17.

The bonus-point win was crucial for Navan, especially after coming close to victory in the previous match. The result, combined with Barnhall's win over Greystones, propelled Navan to eighth place in the league table. Looking ahead, Navan faces a road trip to Armagh to take on Banbridge in Round Fifteen.

"The Central" Player of the Match:  Rory Gordon.

Navan Men's 1st XV Squad "Sponsored by Hannon Travel":

Ryan Healy, Jamie Kavanagh, Jordan Finney, Eoghan Noonan, Conor Hand, Ben McEntagart, Harry Hester, Leon Akopian, Jakob Matthews, Evan Dixon, Peter McEntagart, Kyle Dixon, Sean McEntagart (Capt), Paddy Fox, Rory Gordon, Davod Clarke, Liam Carroll, Conor Ryan, Harry Devlin, Mark Farrell, Leigh Jackson.