Two Donegal legends wore the bainisteoir bibs in Mullingar for the clash of the third-placed and bottom teams in Division 3, and it was Mark McHugh who emerged with the bragging rights after his troops put in a very impressive second-half display to win by an unflattering 12-point margin.
Fermanagh had the aid of a strong wind in the first half, but it was the home team who started better and they led by 0-02 to 0-00 after three minutes courtesy of Brían Cooney and Ray Connellan. However, the first of three two-pointers in the opening half by Garvan Jones - two of them from frees - put Declan Bonner's charges into the lead, and they were never headed thereafter in the first moiety.
The teams were tied at 0-07 each with 20 minutes elapsed when an unforced error in the Westmeath defence allowed Paul Breen to slap the ball to the net from close range. Matthew Whittaker's second point soon reduced the deficit.
Jones's second orange flag from a free put the visitors four points clear before another defensive lapse by McHugh's men allowed Aogan Kelm to fly-kick the loose ball to the net in the 33rd minute, bringing his tally to 1-01. Fermanagh led by 2-09 to 0-08 at the interval.
Cooney, who had opened the scoring in the first half, was the standout player on the change of ends and he kicked four unanswered points from play in the first seven minutes, one of them a two-pointer.
When Ronan Wallace, Kevin O'Sullivan and Sam McCartan (a two-pointer) tagged on further points, Westmeath led by 0-16 to 2-09 with 46 minutes on the clock. Jones equalised, but the Ernesiders only added one more point in the time remaining (from sub Ciaran Corrigan on the hour mark).
For their part, the Lake County men kept the scoreboard ticking over with a succession of well-taken points, while Luke Loughlin's soccer-style goal in the 55th minute all but wrapped up the two league points on offer, albeit goalkeeper Sean McNally will be disappointed not to have prevented the ball from squirming over the line.
Fermanagh's only goal chance in the second half fell to Darragh McGurn, but Jack Connaughton pulled off a fine save to deny him.
Westmeath: J Connaughton; D Scahill, C Drumm (0-01), S Smith; R Wallace (0-03, 1 2pt), S Allen, M Whittaker (0-03); R Connellan (0-01), J Lynam; K O'Sullivan (0-01), S McCartan (0-03, 1 2pt), B Cooney (0-07, 1 2pt); D McCartan, L Loughlin (1-04, 1 2ptf, 1f), S Corcoran (0-01).
Subs: B Guerin for Lynam (inj., 12), R Forde (0-01) for D McCartan (44), S Baker for O'Sullivan (48), B Kelly (0-01) for Corcoran (51), T Molloy for Allen (62).
Fermanagh: S McNally; A Kelm (1-01), O Smyth, J Cassidy; Josh Largo Ellis, S McGullion, R McCaffrey; L Flanagan, D McGurn; Jack Largo Ellis, B Horan, D McCusker; C O'Hanlon (0-01), G Jones (0-08, 2 2pt, 1 2ptf), P Breen (1-00).
Subs: C Corrigan (0-01) for Jack Largo Ennis (27), C Love for Kelm (44), J McDade for McCusker (45), C McGee for O'Hanlon (48), S McCarron for Breen (62).
Referee: T Murphy (Galway).
