Galway's hurlers ended the All-Ireland SHC qualifiers series tonight with a 3-21 to 0-06 hammering of Westmeath in Salthill, setting up a possible re-match against All-Ireland champions Cork.
The Tribesmen secured second spot in Group A and booked their place in tomorrow evening's draw for the last-eight as Ger Farragher (1-06), Damien Hayes (1-03) and David Forde (1-02) shared out the goals in the Pearse Stadium romp.
Hayes' 23rd-minute goal, blasted past Mark Briody at the second attempt, sent the hosts on their way to a 1-10 to 0-02 interval lead.
With midfielder Eoin Lynch and wing-forward Cathal Connolly, who were both starting a championship game for the first time, prominent in the early stages, Galway moved 0-03 to no score clear with Niall Healy, Hayes and Farragher all pointing.
Lynch got off the mark himself before Hayes found the net. Points from Farragher, Fergal Healy and David Tierney pushed Conor Hayes' men 1-09 to 0-01 clear.
A mass brawl then saw Westmeath substitute Barry Kennedy, who was barely on the field four minutes, sent off for lashing out at Ger Mahon. Farragher ended the opening half with four points – the electric Hayes had 1-02.
Substitute Brian Smith tagged two points onto Westmeath's tally at the start of the second half, but Forde, Healy, Hayes and Farragher (free) quickly cancelled those scores out.
Coming up to the midpoint of the second half, the deadly Farragher bludgeoned a free past Briody. And just sixty seconds later, Forde swept home from close range. A Connolly point pushed the hosts 3-16 to 0-04 clear and left the result beyond doubt.
Minor starlet Kerril Wade and Cathal Dervan, another substitute, got in on the scoring act late on. Although, on the debit side, wing back Derek Hardiman was sent off for an off-the-ball incident in the 70th-minute.
Galway will now be pitted against either Cork, in a repeat of last year's All-Ireland final, or Kilkenny, the team they beat in that epic nine-goal semi-final encounter last August, in tomorrow's draw for the quarter-finals.
Galway: L Donoghue; D Joyce, T Og Regan, O Canning; D Hardiman, S Kavanagh, G Mahon; F Healy (0-01), E Lynch (0-01); C Connolly (0-02), D Forde (1-02), D Tierney (0-01); D Hayes (1-03), G Farragher (1-06 (4f)), N Healy (0-02).
Subs used: K. Broderick (0-01) for Forde (50 mins), C. Dervan (0-01) for F Healy (52), C Coen for Mahon (56), K Wade (0-01) for Hayes (57), A Ryan for Donoghue (61).
Westmeath: M Briody; JP Murray, C Murtagh, C Jordan; B Connaughton, D McCormack, N Gavin; P Greville, G Gavin; D McNicholas, B Murtagh (0-01), J Shaw; B Smyth (0-02), A. Mitchell (0-03 (3f)), J Clarke.
Subs used: B Kennedy for Connaughton (27 mins), D Devine for Greville (half-time), P Clarke for McNicholas (both half-time), T O'Keeffe for J Clarke (45), M Williams for McCormack (70).
Referee: Ger Devlin (Armagh)
