Tomás Ó Flatharta resigned as Westmeath manager following his side’s SFC qualifier defeat to neighbours Meath.
Ó Flatharta's four-year reign came to an end in rain-lashed Mullingar as Meath maintained their unbeaten Championship record against the Lakesiders.
Joe Sheridan found the net on 32 minutes, helping Meath to a 1-05 to 0-03 half-time lead.
Sheridan, the best of the forwards, crashed a goal-scoring chance off the crossbar and while Westmeath substitute Martin Flanagan registered a 55th minute goal, Meath still ran out comfortable winners.
Meath manager Eamonn O'Brien reintroduced team captain Stephen Bray to the starting line-up, following his recovery from a quad muscle injury, with that being the only change from last weekend's win over Waterford.
Westmeath were boosted by the inclusion of Dessie Dolan in their team, for his first Championship start of 2009, with midfielder David O'Shaughnessy and wing-forward Paul Sharry two further changes to the side that lost heavily to Dublin last time out.
There was heavy rainfall before the match and the conditions did not aid the sides in their early attempts to score. Meath hit four wides, the worst of them from David Bray who should have done better from close range.
The game was 16 minutes old before Peadar Byrne broke the deadlock for Meath and he almost unlocked the home defence just minutes later for a goal.
After Sean Collins had levelled, Byrne played a long ball through for Brian Farrell to gather but the full-forward fired his shot wide of Gary Connaughton’s goal.
Meath sprinted into a 0-03 to 0-01 lead courtesy of a free from Cian Ward and a point from play from Stephen Bray.
Both sides could have scored goals when Westmeath midfielder David Duffy, with his back to goal, was crying out for a support runner, and Sheridan had two efforts blocked in quick succession, with Connaughton and skipper John Keane alert to the danger.
But Meath got the gee-up they needed, just before half-time, when a high ball in from Nigel Crawford was touched to the net by Sheridan.
Derek Heavin and Seamus Kenny traded points as the half ended 1-05 to 0-03 in Meath's favour. Once again, Sheridan missed out on a goal, as O’Brien's charges started the second half at break-neck speed.
The talented centre-forward watched his drilled shot cannon back off the crossbar and out for a line ball, but he did subsequently claim a brace of points and another from Stephen Bray kept the visitors on the right road.
Another successful free from Cian Ward made it 1-09 to 0-03 to Meath and Westmeath's Championship challenge was slipping away.
Dolan and Flanagan combined to keep Westmeath's slim hopes alive. Dolan’s well-placed free was knocked to the net by Flanagan who scored 1-01 in the space of a couple of minutes, re-energising his side's attack.
However, points from Cian Ward (0-02) and Sheridan, who was threat throughout the 70 minutes, saw Meath coolly pull away again and confirm their place in the third round draw.
