Westmeath 0-15
Kildare 0-12
WESTMEATH remain on course for promotion to Division One after this afternoon’s three-point win over struggling Kildare in Newbridge.
Kildare drew first blood inside the opening minute when Fergal Conway pointed, but four unanswered points — from Lorcan Smith, Ger Egan and two John Heslin frees — had the Lake County in the ascendancy.
Eoghan O’Flaherty and Heslin traded points, before Paul Sharry and Kieran Martin moved Westmeath into a 0-7 to 0-2 lead after 24 mins.
Kildare finished the opening half well, however. O’Flaherty and Pádraig O’Neill reduced the deficit, Heslin pointed another Westmeath free and Darroch Mulhall replied for the Lilywhites to leave three between the sides at the break.
Denis Glennon extended Westmeath’s lead to four points shortly after the restart, but points from O’Flaherty and Paul Cribbin kept Kildare well within touching distance.
Another from Glennon made it 0-10 to 0-7 in favour of Westmeath with 11 minutes of the second half played, but by now it was Kildare who had the upper hand.
With 15 minutes left to play, O’Flaherty and Pádraig Fogarty had reduced the gap to just a point, but that was as close as Kildare would come.
The teams went point-for-point — Glennon and Heslin scoring for Westmeath, O’Flaherty and Fionn Dowling for Kildare — and it looked like the game was set for a nervy finish, but Westmeath pulled clear to inflict a third consecutive defeat on Kildare thanks to unanswered points from Heslin, Smyth and Shane Dempsey.
The two other Division 2 games that were scheduled for today — Galway vs. Laois and Roscommon vs. Meath — were postponed after the weather left the pitches unplayable at Tuam Stadium and Dr Hyde Park.
Scorers for Westmeath: John Heslin 0-6 (6f), Denis Glennon 0-3, Lorcan Smyth 0-2, Ger Egan, Paul Sharry, Kieran Martin, Shane Dempsey 0-1 each.
Scorers for Kildare: Eoghan O’Flaherty 0-5 (3f), Fergal Conway, Darroch Mulhall (f), Padraig O’Neill, Paul Cribbin, Padraig Fogarty, Fionn Dowling , Daniel Flynn 0-1 each.
Westmeath
G Connaughton
M McCallon
K Maguire
J Gilligan
K Daly
K Martin
R Connellan
P Holloway
J Heslin
P Sharry
G Egan
J Gonoud
L Smith
C McCormack
D Glennon
Subs
D Lynch for Holloway (50)
S Demspey for McCormack (51)
D McCormack for R Connellan (59)
J Egan for D Daly (70)
Kildare
M Donnellan
O Lyons
C Fitzpatrick
M O Grady
K Cribbin
D O Brien
E Doyle
H Lynch
P O Neill
E O Flaherty
E Callaghan
P Cribbin
D Mulhall
F Dowling
P Fogarty
Subs
P Fogarty for Mulhall (45)
A Smith for O’Connor (60)
G Whyte for Lynch (60)
E Bolton for Doyle (64)
D Flynn for O’Neill (69)
Referee: Padraig O Sullivan (Kerry)
