Fergal Wilson and Dermot Bannon kicked 0-07 between them as Westmeath beat a depleted Dublin side tonight to claim their third NFL Division 2 title in all and first since 2003.
In the sides' third meeting this season - the Dubs were winners in the O'Byrne Cup and group stage of the league - Westmeath came out on top in Navan thanks to a fine second half display.
The Dubs led 0-07 to 0-06 at half-time with Jason Sherlock supplying two points before he went off with an ankle injury.
But five points in-a-row, including three from Wilson, nudged Westmeath into a 0-12 to 0-09 lead and they closed out the win despite being without injured captain Dessie Dolan for most of the game.
A more energetic Westmeath attack showed greater urgency in the opening 10 minutes and they had most of the possession with Denis Glennon and Alan Mangan taking points, as Dublin, minus nine players due to suspensions, found it hard to cope with their opponents' pace.
Glennon was involved in both of Westmeath's early scores, sending in a quick pass from a free to Mangan who knocked over a well-taken seventh-minute point for a 0-02 to 0-00 lead.
A hip injury to the full-forward Glennon saw the Westmeath top scorer struggle over the remainder of the half, but the Tyrrellspass clubman still played on into the second half.
Following a lacklustre start, Dublin suddenly took control with points from Brendan McManamon and John O'Brien levelling the contest for the first time in the 13th-minute.
A Mark Vaughan pointed free saw Paul Caffrey's charges take the lead for the first time as the game entered the second quarter.
Dublin were leading from the back at this stage with some fine displays of leadership by defenders David Henry and Colin Moran.
From the next attack, Caffrey's side could have got a goal.
The onrushing Conal Keaney was well placed on the edge of the square, in anticipation of palming a Mark Vaughan effort to the net, but the ball bounced off the crossbar and Westmeath cleared the danger.
The Dubs, without a league crown since 1993, continued to hold the lead over the second quarter but they never held more than a two-point lead.
Tomas O Flatharta's side continued to keep in touch, with John Smyth and man-of-the-match Bannon (0-02) in excellent form.
Frustrations began to set in for Dublin in the closing stages of the half with both Bryan Cullen and Kevin Bonner receiving yellow cards.
However, the table toppers were working industriously at this stage with a superb point from Sherlock in the 28th minute.
The 1995 All-Ireland winning hero injured his ankle in the process and two minutes later he was substituted as Ray Cosgrove got his first taste of league action this year.
Westmeath finished the strongest in the closing stages of the half with Bannon in flying form as the Athlone man scored two points in as many minutes, interspersed with a Cullen point at the other end.
That left Dublin hanging onto a 0-07 to 0-06 buffer at the break.
Garda College student O'Brien opened the second half account for Dublin but a third Bannon point cut the gap to the minimum once more inside two minutes.
A superb Kevin Bonner score from 45 metres out ensured that all of Dublin's starting forwards had got on the scoresheet by the 38th-minute.
But that statistic was not much use to them over the next 20 minutes, when they kicked four wides and failed to put the ball over the crossbar.
Wilson excelled during that period and kicked three of Westmeath's next five points as the Lake county took a 0-12 to 0-9 lead with 18 minutes remaining, following Martin Flanagan's second point.
Although Westmeath held most of the possession over the next 15 minutes, they failed to put the ball over the black spot and a Vaughan free cut the deficit to two points with three minutes remaining.
Westmeath were living dangerously in the closing stages and the ball was in the back of their net as the game entered the 70th-minute - however, referee Rory Hickey blew up for a foul on goalkeeper Gary Connaughton and Dublin's lifeline was gone.
Injury-time points from Denis Glennon, the superb Michael Ennis and Wilson sealed Westmeath's win - their fourth on the trot after recent triumphs over Roscommon, Cavan and Monaghan.
Indeed, the result also continued the midlanders' excellent defensive record in recent games - they have not conceded a goal now in their last six outings.
Fittingly, big goalkeeper Gary Connaughton, who had his defence well marshalled once again, joined Dessie Dolan in accepting the Division 2 trophy from GAA President Nickey Brennan afterwards.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Henry, B Cahill, P Casey; C Moran, B Cullen (0-01), G Brennan; D Magee, S Ryan; K Bonner (0-01), M Vaughan (0-02, 0-02f), B McManamon (0-01); J Sherlock (0-02), C Kearney (0-01, 0-01f), J O'Brien (0-02).
Subs used: R Cosgrove for Sherlock (31 mins), T Diamond for Cosgrove (53), E O'Gara for McManamon (55), D Murray for Bonner (65).
WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; F Boyle, K Gavin, J Keane; M Ennis (0-01), D Heavin, D Healy; M Flanagan (0-02), D O'Donoghue; F Wilson (0-04, 0-03f), J Smyth (0-01), D Harte; A Mangan (0-02), Denis Glennon (0-02), D Bannon (0-03).
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