Dubs win semi-final place

Dublin 2-14 Westmeath 0-11

HT: Dublin 2-05 Westmeath 0-09

Fourteen-man Dublin blasted through to a Leinster SHC semi-final date with Offaly as a brace of first-half goals allied to the steadying hand of two-point substitute Padraig Fleury, a nephew of the Offaly great Pat, saw the metropolitans through 2-14 to 0-11 against NHL Division 2 finalists Westmeath at Croke Park.

Dual forward Conal Keaney, who struck home a 13th-minute penalty off the ground, was sent off with three minutes remaining on a straight red by Cork official Diarmuid Kirwan for striking.

That failed to mar the afternoon for the capital side however. Leading by two points at the break thanks to Keaney’s penalty and a second goal from David O’Callaghan, the Dubs motored further ahead with substitutes Fleury and John McGuirk playing leading roles in a 0-09 to 0-02 second half demolition.

Leading Westmeath scorer Andrew Mitchell, who hit 1-16 in the last round, failed to fire in the second half after his six points had brought the Midlanders back within touching distance at 0-09 to 2-05 down.

Scorers:

Dublin: D O’Callaghan 1-01, C Keaney 1-02, D Curtin 0-03, P Fleury, L Ryan 0-02 each, M Carton, K Flynn, J McGuirk, S O’Shea 0-01 each

Westmeath: A Mitchell 0-06, E O’Loughlin, R Whelan, K Cosgrove, J Shaw, V Bateman 0-01 each

Referee: D Kirwan

Dublin: G Maguire; D Spain, S Daly, A de Paor; S Hiney, R Fallon, K Ryan; C Meehan, C Keaney; D Curtin, L Ryan, M Carton; D O'Callaghan, K Flynn, D Donnelly. Subs used: P Fleury for Donnelly (41 mins), J McGuirk for Curtin (53 mins), S O’Shea for Meehan (60 mins), S McCann for Carton (69 mins)

Westmeath: M Briody; D Curley, C Murtagh, P Greville; O Devine, B Murtagh, D McCormack; R Whelan, E Loughlin; J Forbes, V Bateman, A Mitchell; D Carty, K Cosgrove, J Shaw. Subs used: B Kennedy for Forbes (20 mins), N Flanagan for Carty (ht), S McDonnell for Cosgrove (47 mins), D Gallagher for Flanagan (57 mins), P Williams for Kennedy (64 mins)

Yellow cards: Dublin: -; Westmeath: E Loughlin (12 mins), C Murtagh (18 mins)

Red card: Dublin: C Keaney (67 mins)