A Dessie Dolan-inspired late surge gave Westmeath their first win in Division 1A of the Allianz NFL in an action-packed defeat of Donegal on a scoreline of 1-12 to 1-11 at Cusack Park, Mullingar, today.
Dolan came out to centre-forward to drive home a Westmeath team that found Donegal a tough nut to crack.
Both teams missed a number of goal chances, with Donegal particularly wasteful in front of goal.
The first-half was played at a hectic pace. Alan Mangan and Dessie Dolan put the home side two up with early points, and they got off the hook when Ryan Bradley drove a Donegal penalty off the upright after just five minutes.
Three minutes later, Colm McFadden did find the net for Donegal, and after 19 minutes the visitors were 1-3 to 0-3 ahead thanks to points from Stephen McDermott, McFadden and Kavanagh.
More goal chances were missed by both sides but All-Star Dessie Dolan made no mistake with a low shot to the net on 31 minutes.
An exchange of points between McFadden (free) and Joe Fallon (45) left the half-time score at 1-6 apiece.
Two players were yellow carded in that first-half – James Davitt (Westmeath) and Raymond Sweeney (Donegal) making the long walk for fouling players en route to goal-scoring chances.
In the second half Westmeath edged ahead thanks to the switching of Dolan to centre-forward and, though Donegal made a concerted effort to reel their opponents in, four points between the 54th and 68th minutes by subs Denis Glennon, Joe Fallon (2) and Paddy Mulvihill gave the Leinster champions the cushion they needed.
Four more players were sent to the line in the second period.
Westmeath: G Connaughton; D O'Donoghue, J Keane, J Davitt; J Keane; M Ennis, D Healy, D Heavin; R O'Connell, J Brennan; D Mitchell, M Flanagan, C Galligan; A Mangan (0-01), Denis Glennon (0-01), D Dolan (1-04,2f). Subs used: D Kilmartin for J Davitt, 5; J Fallon (0-04, 2f) for C Galligan, 24; D McDermott (0-01) for D Heavin, 31; David Glennon for D Mitchell, 40; D O'Shaughnessy for J Brennan, 53; P Mulvihill (0-01) for R O'Connell, 60.
Donegal: M Boyle; N McCready, R Sweeney, E McGee; S Carr, B Monaghan, K Cassidy; N Gallagher, S McDermott (0-02 ); R Kavanagh (0-02), M Hegarty (0-02), B Roper; C McFadden (1-03,2f), B Devenney (0-01), R Bradley (0-01). Subs used: K Lacey for R Sweeney, 13; B Dunnion for N McCready, 48; A Sweeney for R Bradley, 53; C Toye for B Roper, 60; M Caulfield for B Devenney, 70.
