Goals from Denis Glennon, Martin Flanagan and Alan Mangan steered Westmeath to their second Division 1B win this afternoon – a 3-10 to 1-09 beating of Derry at Celtic Park.
Tomas O Flatharta’s visitors made a brilliant start with Glennon (9 minutes) and Flanagan (12) netting – an error from Derry keeper Barry Gillis saw Flanagan’s shot squirm home.
But Derry whittled a 2-04 to 0-01 deficit down to 2-05 to 1-04 at the interval thanks to an Eoin Bradley goal and three Paddy Bradley points.
The latter missed a first-half penalty and paid the price as, midway through the second period, Dessie Dolan teed up Mangan’s major.
Derry manager Paddy Crozier made a late change, before the throw-in, as Jim Kelly replaced Raymond Wilkinson who was named at right half-forward in the original side.
There were three early wides before Dolan, Westmeath’s best player on the day, opened the scoring with a third-minute shot from 40 yards out.
In between the visitors’ two goals, Fergal Wilson and Mangan added points as O Flatharta’s men surged clear.
Although Paddy Bradley had a penalty well-saved by Gary Connaughton, the Glenullin star did increase his influence with a trio of points.
For the penalty award, Donal O’Donoghue hauled down Bradley close to the square.
From a Kelly ball in, Bradley’s brother Eoin did manage to punch home and reduce the arrears to four points, just before half-time.
Both Bradleys and Enda Muldoon, who was making his first start of the season, added points after the break but Mangan’s goal, which came from a lovely lofted ball in from the right from Dolan, was the decisive score of the second half.
Westmeath are sitting pretty at the top of the Division 1B table, ahead of Down’s visit to Mullingar on Sunday, February 25. Derry, who had defender Liam Hinphey sent off in the closing stages, are away to Kildare next time out.
