Offaly overcame ferocious early odds to get the result they had to in a must-win Joe McDonagh Cup shootout in Tullamore on Saturday afternoon.
With both sides having lost their opening round last week, this was effectively a knockout game – though Westmeath could still survive if results fall their way.
Relegated from the Leinster championship last year, Westmeath are now on life support and they had no complaints at the outcome here as Offaly were the better side overall and turned the screw in the second half.
There was no short of talking points in a drama packed first half. Westmeath had first use of the wind and the sides were level at 1-11 each at half time but that only touches on the full story.
Offaly captain Jason Sampson was sent off after just 20 seconds when Aoghus Clarke went down under his tackle. A penalty goal from Brian Duignan put Offaly 1-01 to 0-01 ahead after two minutes. David O'Reilly got in for a Westmeath goal to level it up at 1-02 each after five minutes while visiting goalkeeper Noel Conaty made an excellent save from Duignan's seventh-minute penalty.
Westmeath wing back Darragh Egerton got a black card for that foul on Duignan and was sent off after 21 minutes when he got a yellow. Westmeath were 1-07 to 1-06 ahead at that stage and there was almost nothing separating the sides in the first half.
Offaly were 1-10 to 1-08 ahead after 28 minutes but Westmeath got three of the closing four points to go in level at half time.
Killian Doyle edged Westmeath in front on the restart but four in a row, the pick of them a long range Cillian Kiely point, put Offaly in the driving seat, 1-15 to 1-12 after 43 minutes.
Three points still separated the sides, 1-19 to 1-16 after 61 minutes and Westmeath did very well to level it up with three in a row from the 63rd to 65th minutes. Two of them came from Killian Doyle and part of Westmeath's problems in the seciond half was that their opening seven points all came from him. David O'Reilly's point levelled it up at 1-19 each but Offaly found another gear.
Brian Duignan tapped over a free, the excellent Cillian Kiely got his third from play and Dan Bourke clinched it with a 69th minute goal to make it 2-21 to 1-19. That left Westmeath chasing goals to survive but their chances were outside ones, two 21-metre frees from Killian Doyle that were saved on the line by Cillian Kiely and Mark Troy as Offaly held on for a deserved win.
Offaly: Mark Troy; Cathal King (0-01), Ciaran Burke, Padraig Cantwell; Ben Conneely (0-01), Cillian Kiely (0-03), Sam Bourke; Jason Sampson, David King; Killian Samspon (0-02), Brian Duignan (1-11, 1-0pen, 8f and 1 '65'), David Nally; Dan Bourke (1-00), Charlie Mitchell (0-02), Eimhin Kelly (0-02).
Subs: Jack Clancy for Sam Bourke (34), Donal Shirley for Cantwell (HT), Oisin Kelly for Nally (56), Leon Fox (0-01) for Clancy (65),
Westmeath: Noel Conaty; Aaron Craig, Tommy Doyle, Kevin Regan; Darragh Egerton, Aonghus Clarke, Robbie Greville (0-01); Cormac Boyle, Charlie McCormack; Joseph Boyle, Killian Doyle (0-15, 11f and 1 '65'), David O'Reilly (1-01); Niall Mitchell, Eoin Keyes (0-01), David Williams (0-01).
Subs: Peter Clarke for Greville (19), Conor Gaffney for McCormack (HT), Owen McCabe for Keyes (51), Davy Glennon (0-01) for Boyle (54), Ciaran Doyle for Williams (65),
Referee: Brian Keon (Galway).
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