Westmeath 0-14 Fermanagh 1-9
A strong finish in Mullingar on Sunday afternoon enabled Westmeath to join their opponents Fermanagh on the eight-point mark in the race for promotion from Division 3 of the National Football League.
The first half was a dour affair, with Rory Gallagher’s charges playing whatever bit of good football was on offer. Fermanagh were full value for their five-point interval lead of 0-7 to 0-2.
Westmeath were unrecognisable on the change of ends and the gap was down to the bare minimum of one point when substitute Eamonn Maguire cleverly rolled the ball to the net in the 58th minute against the run of play.
However, just a minute later, Cian McManus picked up a red card (a black to follow an earlier yellow) and the visitors failed to add to their tally in the time remaining. With all of Colin Kelly’s subs playing significant roles, the Lake County men added six points without reply in the closing stages.
WESTMEATH: E Carberry; M McCallon, F Boyle, K Daly; N Mulligan, A Stone, J Dolan (0-1); D Corroon, J Heslin (0-7, five frees); K Martin, G Egan (0-1), L Loughlin (0-2); J Egan, C McCormack, T McDaniel (0-1).
Subs: J Gonoud for McCallon (BC, 14 mins), R Wallace for McDaniel (h-t), R O’Toole (0-1) for J Egan (55 mins), J Connellan (0-1) for McCormack (64 mins), D Lynch for Mulligan (70 mins).
FERMANAGH: T Treacy; M Jones, C Cullen, C McManus; B Mulrone (0-1), K Connor, D McCusker; E Donnelly, R Jones; C Corrigan (0-1), D Teague, A Breen (0-1); C McGee, C Jones, Seamus Quigley (0-6, five frees).
Subs: R Corrigan for McGee (18 mins), P McCusker for Teague (25 mins), Sean Quigley for Donnelly (h-t), E Maguire (1-0) for C Jones (42 mins), T Corrigan for R Corrigan (52 mins), J McMahon for Seamus Quigley (60 mins).
Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary).
