A dozen players found the target as Galway ran out facile winners by 4-31 to 0-12 against Westmeath in this Allianz League Division 1B clash at Pearse Stadium.
Galway's margin would have been much more were it not for the excellence of Westmeath goalkeeper Noel Conaty who made six point blank saves during the contest.
Galway led by 0-15 to 0-06 at the break having played against the wind and took complete control after the restart despite playing against the elements.
The Tribesmen eventually got the better of Conaty to shoot to the net four times, but the Westmeath net-minder was superb.
The Lough Lene Gaels clubman produced four point blank saves in the opening half, twice denying Declan McLoughlin and also saving from Daithi Burke. And then just before the break he saved a penalty from Jason Flynn after the Tommy Larkins clubman had been fouled.
But Galway did enough in front of a crowd of less than 1,000 to lead by nine at the break, with Evan Niland hitting 0-06, two of them from play.
Seven Galway players found the target in the opening half but they didn’t have it all their own way and Westmeath trailed by just 0-07 to 0-04 at the end of the opening quarter with David Williams shooting three for the midlanders and Niall Mitchell also landing an excellent score.
Conaty’s heroics kept Westmeath in contention to the break despite Galway hitting seven in a row without reply before Darragh Clinton and Williams struck efforts for Joe Fortune’s side.
Conaty denied interval substitute Jamie Ryan just after the break but two more from Niland and a second from Gavin Lee pushed Galway 0-18 to 0-06 clear before they finally got a goal when Donal O’Shea floated in a high ball and Flynn flicked it to the net.
Both sides started emptying their benches after that with Galway drafting in their only All Star from last year Conor Whelan for his first action of the year as they continued to pull away.
Flynn bore down on goal and had an effort parried but wing-back Cianan Fahy had come forward and finished low to the net to make it 2-23 to 0-07 after 55 minutes.
Flynn got his second goal ten minutes from time after being set up by Whelan as Galway turned the screw.
The rout was completed two minutes from time when Whelan raced in and blasted a trademark shot to the top right corner to get their campaign off to a flying start.
Galway: Darach Fahy; Jack Grealish, TJ Brennan, Eoin Lawless; Cianan Fahy (1-01), Padraic Mannion, Daithi Burke; Donal O’Shea (0-02), Gavin Lee (0-04); Seán Linnane, Jason Flynn (2-02, 0-01f), John Cooney (0-01); Evan Niland (0-11, 0-06f, 0-01’65), Tom Monaghan (0-05), Declan McLoughlin (0-02).
Subs: Jamie Ryan (0-01) for McLoughlin (half-time), Ronan Glennon (0-01) for Linnane (49), Darren Morrissey (0-01) for Burke (50), Conor Whelan (1-00) for Cooney (54), Ian McGlynn for Niland (60), Dan Loftus for Lawless (63).
Westmeath: Noel Conaty; Conor Gaffney, Johnny Bermingham, Darragh Egerton; Jack Gillen, Kevin Regan, Cormac Boyle; Shane McGovern, Michael Daly; Owen McCabe, Darragh Clinton (0-01), Niall Mitchell (0-01); David Williams (0-07, 0-06f), Eoin Keyes, Peter Clarke.
Subs: David O’Reilly (0-02) for Keyes (46), Mark Cunningham (0-01) for Daly (53), Joseph Boyle for Bermingham (60), Oisin Loughlin for McGovern (66), Ciaran Doyle for Clarke (66).
Referee: Sean Stack (Dublin).
In Division 3A, Cavan's flurry of second-half goals wasn't enough to rescue a result away to Sligo.
The hosts led 4-13 to 0-10 at the break, thanks to a brace of goals from Gerard O'Kelly Lynch, and a goal apiece from his brother Tony and Conor Griffin.
Despite this, they only wound up winning by four, a pair of goals from Nicholas Kenny and another from Liam O'Brien leaving the final score at 4-19 to 3-18 after a topsy-turvy encounter.
Both games in Division 3B ended as draws, Lancashire and Longford drawing 0-12 to 1-09 in the league opener in Abbotstown before a late point from Jack Grealish garnered a point for Warwickshire at home to Leitrim - 1-17 to 0-20 the final score.
