Of all the metrics we can use to calibrate Colm Collins’ success with Clare, the county’s Championship record before and after he took over is most revealing.

Not for the first time in Clare jerseys, David Tubridy and Gary Brennan rose to the occasion with huge displays to propel their team to victory in Mullingar and to within touching distance of the Super 8s.

Goals from James Dolan and Joe Halligan did the trick in Mullingar as Westmeath battled through to Round 3 of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers.

This was Westmeath’s first victory in the qualifiers since 2012 and they were impressive in victory with Jack Cooney’s side leading from start to finish.

Watching Laois goalkeeper Graham Brody’s blunder at Croke Park, the mind was immediately drawn to a recent Mickey Harte comment.

In-form Westmeath claimed their second piece of silverware of the season as they finished strong to secure the Allianz NFL Division 3 title.

The postponed Round 6 tie between Westmeath and Louth will take place next weekend, rather than midweek ensuring the final will not take place in Croke Park next weekend.

Stephen O'Brien, Barry O'Sullivan, Ryan Wylie and Ger Egan are just four inter-county footballers who claim the new experimental rules will be a burden on referees.

Westmeath forward Ger Egan feels “sorry for the referees” attempting to enforce the experimental rules.

Louth ended the year on a high with victory over Wicklow, while Westmeath and Offaly drew (0-11 apiece) in Saturday’s Bord na Móna O’Byrne Cup action.

Allianz FL Division 4

Dublin 2-19 Westmeath 0-10: Same as it ever was, then. An 11th Leinster title in 12 seasons for Dublin, another lopsided scoreline and a renewed bout of hand-wringing as to what the rest of the province – and everyone else – can possibly do to reduce a gap that shows no sign of closing anytime soon.

Westmeath 1-9 Offaly 0-9: Westmeath maintained their Division 3 status for another week at least with this hard-earned three-point victory over Offaly in Cusack Park, Mullingar.

Sligo 1-11 Westmeath 1-10: Teenager Kyle Cawley’s cool 54th-minute goal inspired Sligo to a one-point win over Westmeath to kick-start the county’s league campaign.

Fermanagh 1-13 Westmeath 0-7: Fermanagh displayed new levels of maturity and confidence to overcome Westmeath in Breffni Park on Saturday and book their place in the last eight of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Leinster SFC final

It is becoming a feature of this year’s Leinster football championship that teams are being given all sorts of sound advice about defending stoutly against Dublin and promptly ignoring it.

Earlier this year, Ger Egan conceded he’d almost questioned himself as a footballer after Westmeath’s horror 2014 campaign yielded 12 defeats in 12 games.

It’s amazing what a good dressing down from a manager does.

Westmeath went top of the Allianz National Football Division 2 as they defeated Kildare 0-15 to 0-12 at Newbridge.

Allianz FL Division 1 Round 2: Westmeath 2-12 Galway 2-13: It’s an awful pity that Paddy Sweeney didn’t live to see this day. A stalwart of the Killannin club which also produced Kevin Walsh, Sweeney also served as an officer of Galway football board but was killed in a work accident over a year ago.

Full-forward Patrick Sweeney scored 1-5 as Galway moved to the top of the Allianz Football League Division 2 table with a 2-13 to 2-12 win over Westmeath at Cusack Park.

UCD 0-15 Athlone IT 0-7

Westmeath 1-12 Laois 0-10: Allianz Football League Division 2: Westmeath’s campaign got off to a winning start in Mullingar yesterday.

Westmeath 3-11 DCU 2-13: After a run of 15 defeats, Westmeath recorded a win when they defeated DCU by a point in Kinnegad last night.

Dublin became the first team to qualify for the Bord na Móna O'Byrne Cup semi-finals after a hard earned victory over Offaly, with wins also for Maynooth University, Kildare, UCD, Meath, Westmeath, Wexford and DIT tonight.

O’Byrne Cup

Niall McDermott's second-half goal proved the boost Cavan needed as they finally inflicted a 12th competitive defeat in a row on Westmeath.

Louth 1-14 Westmeath 1-9

WESTMEATH 0-13 KERRY 2-15

WESTMEATH 3-9 MAYO 2-17

Derry 3-16 Westmeath 0-12

Dublin 0-14 Westmeath 1-7

Westmeath 1-07 Dublin 0-14

Galway football has been dealt a massive blow with news that defender Colin Forde will miss their entire 2014 campaign after emigrating to England.

UCD 0-17 Athlone IT 2-7

New Westmeath manager Paul Bealin has criticised the Football Review Committee (FRC) for not recommending a change to the college football calendar.

Reigning Westmeath senior football champions Mullingar Shamrocks were knocked out of this year’s championship by Tyrrellspass in a semi-final replay at Cusack Park, Mullingar on Saturday.

Westmeath goalkeeper Gary Connaughton has retired from inter-county football in the wake of the county’s 3-10 to 1-15 qualifier defeat by Fermanagh.

Fermanagh 3-10 Westmeath 1-15

Westmeath manager Pat Flanagan has selected an unchanged team for Saturday's Leinster SFC quarter-final clash with defending champions Dublin at Croke Park (throw-in 7pm).

Westmeath 3-15 Carlow 1-10

Westmeath 3-15 Carlow 1-10

Dessie Dolan, who won an All-Star award when Westmeath were last crowned Leinster champions in 2004, will start for the Lakesiders against Carlow in Sunday's provincial Championship opener.

Derry 1-18 Westmeath 0-15

Derry 1-18 Westmeath 0-15