Westmeath 0-10 Cavan 0-06

Dessie Dolan and Denis Glennon scored six points between them as Westmeath beat Cavan at Cusack Park this afternoon to keep their promotion hopes alive.

Wing-back Michael Ennis also chipped in with 0-02 as the Lake county overpowered a Cavan side that shot 14 wides.

Seanie Johnston was nowhere near as influential as he was against Cork last weekend, although the sides were level at 0-05 apiece at half-time.

But a Ronan Flanagan effort was Cavan's only score of the second half with their relegation now inevitable.

In cold and blustery conditions in Mullingar, Westmeath opted to start without Fergal Wilson and Denis Glennon with Damien Kelly and Tommy Cleary brought into the starting line-up.

Both sides struggled to maintain possession in the early stages but Westmeath predictably settled the quicker.

Ennis, continuing the fine form he has shown in recent weeks, motored forward and pointed in the fourth-minute after Dolan played a free short to him.

David Duffy did the groundwork, four minutes later, for a Dolan point which doubled Westmeath's lead.

Seanie Johnston was very much a marked man at the other end and the DCU student hit a couple of early wides under pressure from the hosts' backs.

Midway through the half, Westmeath had moved into a 0-04 to 0-02 lead but Cavan were getting more and more competitive with Johnston and Dermot McCabe both tapping frees over the crossbar.

Glennon's introduction helped Westmeath improve their overall play but, playing into a considerable wind, Cavan were back on terms by the break.

Mark McKeever kicked Cavan's first point from play in the 33rd-minute before Jonathan Crowe equalised right on the stroke of half-time.

With the wind playing havoc with both sides' play and defences getting on top, there was little in the way of scoring action at the start of the second period.

Westmeath moved 0-07 to 0-06 ahead with Ennis pointing after a superb seven-man move. Wilson, brought on as a substitute, had opened the half's scoring with a free.

Cavan's only point of the half came in the 42nd-minute when Flanagan bisected the posts.

With Johnston marked out of the game, the Breffni men struggled in the final third of the pitch, with their midfielders and forwards resorting to long range efforts.

Both Glennon and Doaln finished with 0-03 apiece, while Dermot Bannon was Westmeath's other scorer.

A win for Tomas O'Flatharta's men away to former table toppers Monaghan on 20 April would be enough to see them secure top flight football for next season.