It wasn’t without some irony that Westmeath ultimately lost this Division Two final by a late flurry of scoring that they had so often inflicted on their opponents to actually get here in the first place.

“I was getting worried, thinking we might actually be ahead at half time,” Westmeath manager Pat Flanagan joked afterwards, referring to his team’s seasonal trademark of coming from behind to snatch victory on the line. This wasn’t quite a photo finish, but Derry’s 1-3 in injury-time saw them duck over the line first.

Derry manager Brian McIver had the smile on his face to prove both the satisfaction and meaning of the victory: “As I’ve just said to the lads, a great game to win and an absolutely horrible game to have lost,” he said. “But I thought over the course of the game we were just about the better side, but we couldn’t seem to get away from Westmeath. We got the wee break at the end, and I thought just about deserved it.

“We drifted in and out of the first half, but when we levelled again at half-time, that was very, very crucial.

“The game was hinging on who was dominating midfield, because when Westmeath got some dominance at midfield, they got their scores. We did try some scores from crazy angles, and we adjusted that too, and players showed more patience over the second half.”

Both managers naturally pointed to looming championship dates, McIver out next against Down, on June 2nd: “We knew coming into this game, this would be ideal preparation for the championship, and we got exactly that, a very competitive game, and a lot of lads got to play in Croke Park for the first time. All positives, really . . .”

He did, inevitably, single out praise for 19-year-old midfielder Ryan Bell: “Yeah, and such a good, natural footballer. Every time he got the ball, his use was top class. You know he’s going to make something happen.”

Joking aside, Flanagan ultimately agreed that Westmeath’s slow start possibly cost them: “Those slow starts are something we’ve been looking at, need to improve on. Because the work rate it takes to get back, especially on a big pitch like Croke Park, is never easy.

“But every one of our guys are gutted, because we lost a Division Two final. I think the final scoreline was certainly harsh, and I don’t think we deserved to lose by six points, or that it reflects the game. Of course our first ambition was to get promoted and we achieved that, but we had a chance to add to that today, win the title, and to lose that chance is very disappointing.

“I always felt whoever had the initiative late on would win it, and that late goal was the killer, obviously . . . There’s no sour grapes. The referee had a fair game, but some small things turned it. Well done to Derry too, they’re a superb team, played some excellent football, and some of their scores were very good.”

Flanagan could be back in Croke Park by June 1st to play Dublin – assuming they beat Carlow in three weeks: “That’s it, it is all about three weeks time now. And I thought our lads played exceptionally well. We’d only five days to prepare, because of club championship, and some of our play and scores was excellent. I think both teams tired a little in the second half. A two or three point lead was always going to win it, late on, and Derry got that in the end. But we put in a huge performance, and with a little bit of luck could have won ourselves. Again, a lot of people had written us off, but we’re improving, building fast.”