Westmeath back from the brink

Westmeath 2-22 Kildare 2-13

Having already lost three of their four Leinster qualifier series games — dropping them into this promotion/relegation play-off — they’d hit ‘rock bottom’, according to manager Brian Hanley.

From that perilous position, however, Westmeath proceeded to produce what Hanley claimed was their best hurling since he took over in 2011.