Derry put down a marker

Derry 3-16 Westmeath 0-12

Derry, since their promotion last year, have made major improvements as a team. Nationally, the absence of Eoin Bradley has taken the focus off a much more rounded unit, one that now plays off a full-forward rather than to a full-forward.

Westmeath simply couldn’t cope and were lucky to go in within seven points at half-time. Two goals in the space of a minute opened up a chasm between the sides and only some over-elaboration denied Derry more than two first-half majors.