All-Ireland champions Crossmaglen will meet Garrycastle again after a thrilling club decider at Croke Park finished level.
Midfielder David McKenna rescued the Armagh men with a 56th minute equaliser, but they should have secured their sixth title in a late barrage which saw them shoot a rash of wides when they had a brave Garrycastle side on the rack.
The Westmeath men led by five points early in the second half, but the holders shot seven of the game’s last nine points as they staged another of their now legendary fightbacks.
Dessie Dolan converted a free and his cutback set up a point for cousin James to settle early Garrycastle nerves.
Jamie Clarke and Tony Kernan were on target for the Armagh men, but a superb Dessie Dolan point from play had the Westmeath men ahead by 0-4 to 0-2 after 10 minutes.
Garrycastle were able to hold on to their two points lead for the best part of the opening quarter, with Oisin McConnville, then Clarke, cutting the gap to one.
It was 0-6 to 0-5 in favour of the Leinster men when they made a major breakthrough with a 21st minute goal.
Seanie O’Donoghue’s sideline ball was punched a way by a defender, but only as far as Patrick Mulvihill, who picked his spot with a low shot to the bottom corner of Paul Hearty’s net from 15 metres
Now ahead by 1-6 to 0-5, they visibly grew on confidence, and stood defiant at the back as Cross rallied, with Doran Harte and Karl Henson excelling.
McConville sent Clarke through for a point, but Garrycastle stretched their lead through James Dolan and blood sub Aidan Browne.
They led by 1-8 to 0-7 at the break, but were reduced to 14 men five minutes after the restart when corner back Tomn McHugh picked up a second booking.
McConville and Dessie Dolan swapped frees, and in the 39th minute, numerical parity was restored when Crossmaglen full back Paul Kernan was sent off following a second booking.
Cross had a golden goal chance when Tony Kernan’s cross picked out Clarke, who saw his effort come back off a post, and his second attempt from the rebound was cleared off the line by Mark McCallon.
But Cross were now in the ascendancy, with McKenna and Johnny Hanratty getting on top at midfield and Aaron Kernan pressing forward with purpose.
They shot four points on the spin to go level, three of them from veteran McConville, who shot a superlative effort from play to inspire his team-mates.
But Garrycastle responded with another flourish, going back in front through Des Dolan and goalscorer Mulvihill.
The Ulster and All-Ireland champions turned up the heat in the final eight minutes, McConville’s sixth score followed by McKenna’s leveller, but four more chances were wasted, and the teams will have to battle it out again.
Crossmaglen scorers: O McConville 0-6 (5f), J Clarke 0-3, A Kernan, T Kernan 0-2 each, D McKenna, M McNamee 0-1.
Garrycastle scorers: P Mulvihill 1-1, D Dolan 0-6 (5f), J Dolan 0-2, P Dillon (f), J Duignan, A Browne 0-1 each.
Crossmaglen: P Hearty, J Morgan, P Kernan, P McKeown, A Kernan, D O’Callaghan, B McKeown, J Hanratty, D McKenna, T Kernan, K Brennan, A Cunningham, J Clarke, M MCNamee, O McConville.
Subs: S Finnegan for B McKeown, K Carragher for Brennan, M Aherne for McNamee, F Hanratty for Carragher
Garrycastle: C Mullin, M McCallon, J Gaffey, T McHugh, K Henson, D Harte, E Mulvihill, S O’Donoghue, D O’Shaughnessy, P Dillon, D Dolan, J Dolan, G Dolan, P Mulvihill, J Duignan.
Subs: A Browne (blood) for O’Donoghue, R McGowan for Duignan, Browne for G Dolan, A Fox for Henson, A Daly for Dillon
Referee: R Hickey (Clare)
