Goalkeeper Rob Hennelly rode to Mayo's rescue with two late points in Clones to seal a badly needed victory that eases their Allianz football league relegation fears.

Stephen Rochford's side started the day pointless after three defeats and feared another setback when they let slip a five-point lead early in the second-half to find themselves level late on.

But Hennelly intervened just when Mayo needed him with two points from long range frees to finally relieve some of the pressure on the Connacht champions.

They did it the hard way as they lost talisman duo Aidan O'Shea and Lee Keegan to black cards in the ninth and 50th minutes.

Monaghan still have four points in the table but will begin to look over their shoulders after back to back defeats to Dublin and now Mayo.

Mayo came into the contest knowing that anything less than a win would leave them staring relegation in the face.

Their task became a lot more difficult after just nine minutes when full-forward O'Shea was black carded for a petulant challenge.

It was more silly than cynical from O'Shea as the Breaffy powerhouse threw Ryan Wylie to the ground though referee Joe McQuillan still brandished black.

Three minutes later, Monaghan won a penalty which McManus fired to the net, albeit after his initial shot was parried by Hennelly, and suddenly Mayo trailed by 1-2 to 0-2.

The five-in-a-row Connacht champions responded impressively though and had turned a difficult situation into a positive one by half-time when they led 1-06 to 1-05.

Conor Loftus supplied the Mayo goal just two minutes after McManus had netted when he sped in from the left wing and fired a low shot to the Monaghan net.

That strike levelled the scores at 1-02 to 1-02 and in O'Shea's absence, younger brother Conor stepped up with two excellent points from play.

Even Regan kicked two Mayo points from frees and nudged them in front at half-time with a cracking point from the left wing in injury-time.

Jason Doherty put Mayo in a comfortable position with an unlikely toe poked goal through the goalkeeper's legs in the 40th minute, 2-7 to 1-5.

Monaghan fought courageously throughout the second-half though and Lee Keegan's 50th minute black card hurt Mayo.

So did the unerring free-taking of McManus who finished with 1-8 overall and six second-half frees from the Clontibret man finally drew them level again in the 64th minute.

But Hennelly kept his cool at the death with 66th and 74th minute points from frees to seal a much needed win.

Scorers for Mayo: D O'Connor 1-1, C Loftus 1-0, E Regan 0-3 (0-2f), R Hennelly 0-2 (0-2f). C O'Shea 0-2, K McLoughlin 0-2, J Doherty 0-1.

Scorers for Monaghan: C McManus 1-8 (0-8f), F Kelly 0-1, T Kerr 0-1, S Carey 0-1, R Beggan 0-1 (0-1 45).

Mayo: R Hennelly; G Cafferkey, B Harrison, C Barrett; S Nally, C Boyle, L Keegan; S O'Shea, T Parsons; D O'Connor, K McLoughlin, C O'Shea; E Regan, A O'Shea, C Loftus.

Subs: J Doherty for O'Shea (9, BC), M Sweeney for Loftus (44), D Vaughan for Keegan (51), C Barrett for Nally (56), J Gibbons for C O'Shea (64), A Moran for Regan (65).

Monaghan: R Beggan; C Walshe, D Wylie, R Wylie; K Duffy, N McAdam, F Kelly; K O'Connell, D Hughes; O Duffy, D Malone, T Kerr; S Carey, D McKenna, C McManus.

Subs: R McAnespie for Duffy (h/t), B McGinn for Malone (45), C Boyle for K Duffy (46), C McCarthy for McKenna (58).

Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).