It was only in the final quarter when they had the aid of an extra man after Ray Connellan's dismissal that Galway were able to pull away from a very plucky Westmeath side in front of a big crowd in a sun-drenched Cusack Park.
Dessie Dolan’s wind-assisted charges, a week after a heart-breaking one-point defeat in Armagh, again showed that they are entitled to operate at this level and they were deservedly two points ahead after five minutes, via a 45-metre free from John Heslin and a well-worked score finished by Ronan O’Toole.
Cathal Sweeney, who replaced Damien Comer in the only change to either side from the selected teams, got Galway on the scoreboard in the seventh minute. Connellan soon converted a 'mark’ for the home team, but it needed great defending from both Jason Daly and James Dolan to prevent the Tribesmen from converting a triple-chance of a goal in the tenth minute at the expense of an unconverted ‘45’.
Points from Johnny Heaney and Paul Conroy edged Galway ahead by 0-05 to 0-04 after 22 minutes, but unanswered points from O’Toole, the lively Luke Loughlin, and Sam McCartan (a grandson of Galway legend Sean Purcell) restored the Lake County’s two-point lead.
A rasping shot from Peter Cooke came back off the crossbar in the 33rd minute, but Shane Walsh converted a free immediately afterwards. Westmeath led by 0-07 to 0-06 at the interval.
A Walsh free levelled the game for Padraic Joyce’s troops within a minute of the restart. However, Westmeath continued to play with great spirit and it needed Cian Hernon’s second outstanding point to tie the game at 0-11 each in the 50th minute.
The game turned two minutes later when strong claims for a Westmeath free some 25 metres from the Galway goal were waved away and it was the visitors who got a free out for a handball on the ground by sub Senan Baker.
Moments later, Connellan picked up a second yellow card and it was very much a case of ‘advantage Galway’ with the wind behind them and a numerical advantage.
The introduction of Comer to a great reception from the large band of travelling fans in the 55th minute had an immediate impact and he fired over a rapid-fire brace to put his side 0-14 to 0-12 ahead.
Sub Eoin Mulvihill scored what proved to be the losers’ last point on the hour mark and Galway, with Cooke outstanding as playmaker and scorer, scored six unanswered points – including Comer’s hat-trick completion – in the closing stages, to win with a bit to spare.
Indeed, Comer was unlucky not to find the net with an audacious lob, while sub Paul Kelly had a goal disallowed for a throw-ball earlier in the move.
Galway: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Kelly, J Glynn; C Hernon (0-02), J Daly, C McDaid; P Conroy (0-01), P Cooke (0-04); M Tierney (0-01, ‘45’), C Sweeney (0-01), J Heaney (0-02, 1m); I Burke (0-01), R Finnerty, S Walsh (0-04, 3f).
Subs: T Culhane for Finnerty (inj) 7, J Maher (0-01) for Culhane 46, D Comer (0-03) for Burke 55, P Kelly for Walsh 69, S Mulkerrin for Hernon 70+3.
Westmeath: J Daly; J Smith (0-01), K Maguire, J Dolan; J Gonoud, R Wallace (0-01), A McCormack; S Duncan, R Connellan (0-01); S McCartan (0-01), R O’Toole (0-02), D Lynch; L Loughlin (0-02), J Heslin (0-02, 1f), S Smith (0-01).
Subs: J Lynam for Duncan (inj) 20, D Giles for J Smith (inj) 47, S Baker for S Smith 48, E Mulvihill (0-01) for Gonoud 55, C Dillon for McCormack 64.
Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).
