Westmeath 2-12 Galway 2-13
Full-forward Patrick Sweeney scored 1-05 in a man of the match display as Galway chalked up their second win of their Allianz Football League Division 2 campaign after a thrilling contest at Cusack Park in Mullingar.
Westmeath looked like they would salvage a draw but, while they got the deficit down to a point in an exciting finish, the Tribesmen held on for victory.
Galway made a superb start and raced into a 1-02 to 0-00 lead after just four minutes.
A good passing movement, which involved Sean Denvir and Tom Flynn, was finished to the net by full-forward Patrick Sweeney.
Adrian Varley added a point and then Sweeney also found the range for the Tribesmen.
John Heslin settled Westmeath with a couple of points, one of them a free, before Sweeney again kicked a fine point.
Lorcan Smyth pulled back a point for Westmeath and then Ger Egan tied the match at 1-03 each when he finished to the net after Darragh Daly had knocked down a delivery from Lorcan Smyth.
But the Galway response was impressive. Danny Cummins and Paul Varley pointed and then Shane Walsh blasted home a penalty, won by Sweeney when he was fouled by goalkeeper Darren Quinn.
That put Gaway ahead by 2-05 to 1-3 but Westmeath hit back with Heslin pointing another free before Kieran Martin finished low to the net six minutes from the break.
Cummins got his second point of the game but the sides went in level at 2-06 each after Callum McCormack and Heslin hit the target for Westmeath at the end of an entertaining opening half.
Gary O’Donnell and Patrick Sweeney pointed after the restart for Galway, but David Lynch and McCormack responded for Westmeath.
John Heslin edged Westmeath in front for the only time in the game after 48 minutes but Cummins quickly equalised for Galway.
Michael Martin restored Galway’s lead and Patrick Sweeney doubled it with 13 minutes remaining.
When Westmeath got it back to a point again in the closing stages, Sweeney again popped up to put two between the sides.
Heslin reduced it to one with a couple of minutes remaining but then saw a late free from distance come back off the post and Galway held on for victory.
Westmeath: D Quinn; M McCallon, K Maguire, J Gilligan; K Daly, K Martin (1-01), J Dolan; J Heslin (0-07, 0-06f), P Sharry; C McCormack (0-02), G Egan (1-00), J Gonoud; R Connellan, D Daly, L Smyth (0-01).
Subs: D Lynch (0-01) for Gilligan (22), D Glennon for Connellan (46), P Holloway for Lynch (55), J Connellan for Smyth (60), A Coffey for J Connellan (65), D Whelan for Dolan (65).
Galway: TJ Forde; D Kyne, C Forde, C McSweeney; P Varley (0-01), G Bradshaw, G O’Donnell (0-01); F O Curraoin, E Tierney; T Flynn, S Walsh (1-00, pen), S Denvir (0-01); D Cummins (0-03), P Sweeney (1-05), A Varley (0-01).
Subs: M Breathnach for Forde (35), E Hoare for Tierney (35), F Hanley for Forde (46), M Martin (0-01f) for Walsh (51), C Mulryan for A Varley (61).
Referee: Cormac Reilly (Meath).
