Limerick spluttered to a 4-15 to 1-12 victory over a determined Westmeath side at Mullingar.

Despite going 16 minutes without a score in the first half and 14 in the second half, the winners finished strongly to eventually shrug off the home team, who were much more competitive than the final scoreline suggests.

The Treaty County certainly didn't get things their own way in the first half and they could consider themselves rather fortunate to turn around with the slenderest of advantages, 2-6 to 1-7, after firing four goal efforts wide of the posts.

Having led by 2-2 to 0-2 after twelve minutes thanks to goals from Kevin Downes and Shane Dowling, the visitors conceded 1-5 without reply inside the next 16 minutes as the midlanders took complete control. But points from Dowling, Sean Tobin and Paul Browne got TJ Ryan's men back into their stride.

Midfielder Cormac Boyle struck the Lake County's goal to the roof of the net and he also supplied the 22nd-minute point that propelled Michael Ryan's plucky hosts into an unlikely lead. In truth, there was absolutely nothing between the sides during the opening 35 minutes.

The rain recommenced for the start of the second half and the underdogs were in with a great chance of causing an upset as they had the breeze in their favour upon the restart. However, within 90 seconds of the restart, Browne pounced for a third Treaty goal to leave five between the teams, 3-6 to 1-7.

Derek McNicholas and Downes swapped points as both sides kept going: 3-9 to 1-9 after 41 minutes. The heavens opened and there was thunder and lightning in the midlands as Dowling pointed again to put seven between them

After a long period without a score, Brendan Murtagh's converted free brought the Lake men back within five with 13 minutes remaining and substitute Emmet Corrigan hit another Westmeath score after Declan Hannon had supplied Limerick's first score in almost a quarter of an hour.

A Downes point left six between the teams with five minutes left. Substitute Adrian Breen provided the icing on the Limerick cake with their fourth major two minutes from the end; O'Brien and Hannon (free) added points as the winners finished strongly with an unanswered 1-5 to seal their place in the second round of the Qualifiers.

Limerick - N Quaid; T Condon, R McCarthy, S O'Brien; P O'Brien, G O'Mahony, W McNamara; J Ryan, P Browne (1-1); D Breen, S Tobin (0-3), S Dowling (1-3, 0-1f); C Lynch, K Downes (1-2), G Mulcahy (0-2). Subs: D Morrissey for T Condon, T O'Brien (0-1) for C Lynch, D Hannon (0-3, 1f, 1'65) for S Tobin, A Breen (1-0) for S Dowling, D O'Grady for D Breen.

Westmeath - S McGovern; S Power, T Doyle, K Duncan; A Craig, A Clarke, A McGrath; C Boyle (1-2), J Clarke; A Devine (0-1), D McNicholas (0-2), L Varley; N O'Brien, B Murtagh (0-6, 2f), R Greville. Subs: D Clinton for N O'Brien, E Corrigan (0-1) for D McNicholas, K Murphy for A Craig, N Mitchell for S Power.

Referee - P O'Dwyer.

Tweet

Most Read Stories