Dubs overcome Westmeath

Dublin 0-11 Westmeath 0-09

St Vincents' marksman Thomas Quinn thumped over seven points as Dublin moved fourth in the Allianz NFL Division 1A standings, edging Leinster champions Westmeath under the Parnell park floodlights.

A dour battle - which saw two yellow cards dished out to Dublin's Ciaran Whelan and the visitors' centre back Donal O'Donoghue - was decided by Quinn's handsome haul, all bar one of which came from frees.

Dessie Dolan and Quinn shared the early scoring with the latter hitting four frees to All-Star Dolan's two by the 26th-minute.

Conal Keaney's well-struck score four minutes later tallied the game's first point from play and despite losing Whelan for a heavy challenge on Alan Mangan, the Dubs were 0-06 to 0-03 in front at the break.

Efforts from substitute Senan Connell and Whelan's replacement Darren Homan stretched the home lead on the restart.

Westmeath had to wait until 49 minutes before registering a third score through returning skipper David O'Shaughnessy.

The midlanders began to irk more influence with Joe Fallon pointing twice, with Denis Glennon and Dolan (free) levelling it up with nine minutes remaining.

Paidi O Se's men went in through Michael Ennis, however it was the Dubs who had the stamina in the final furlong as Quinn squared it up, then notched his first from play and watched gleefully as substitute Jason Sherlock set up Declan Lally for the clinching score - and a narrow, but deserved win.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P Griffin, P Christie, S O’Shaughnessy; P Casey, B Cullen, P Andrews; C Whelan, S Ryan; D Lally, L Og O hEineachain, C Moran; M Vaughan, C Keaney, T Quinn.

WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; J Davitt, D O’Donoghue, J Keane; M Ennis, D Healy, D McDermott; R O’Connell, D O’Shaughnessy; J Brennan, M Flanagan, P Mulvihill; A Mangan, D Glennon, D Dolan.

Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan).