Westmeath airc Chiarain , Chiarain, Athlone, had a comfortable 10-point win at Pairc Chiarain, Athlone, although the energy-sapping sod made flowing football impossible. Westmeath exerted the early pressure, but points from Michael Ennis, Martin Flanagan and Ger Heavin were cancelled out by Limerick scores from Noel Mulvihill and Derek Ryan (two). However, Limerick had only one other score in the half - a Michael Reidy point - and Westmeath led 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time, having failed to convert two good goalscoring chances.

Within seven minutes of the restart they had stretched their led to 0-10 to 0-4, with Heavin, Dolan and Shane Colleary making their mark, before a well-taken goal from Paul Conway widened the gap to nine points.

Limerick hit back with three unanswered points from Colm Hickey, Derek Ryan and Noel Mulvihill, but a Kenny Lyons point and a well-taken Michael Ennis goal ended any hopes of a revival.

Westmeath: D Ryan; A Lyons, D Murphy, D Brady; D Healy, D Mitchell, A Canning; R O'Connell, P Conway (1-0); L Gillivan (0-1), M Ennis (1-2), S Colleary (0-1); G Heavin (0-3), M Flanagan (0-2), D Dolan (0-2). Subs: K Lyons (0-1) for Dolan (45 mins); J O'Brien for Mitchell (53 mins); D Martin for Colleary (59 mins).

Limerick: T McMahon; P Windle, D Sheehy, G O'Connor; D Reidy, T McGarry, J Donovan; M O'Doherty, J Quane; D Ryan (0-3), F Finnan (0-1), S Ahern, C Hickey (0-1), N Mulvihill (0- 2), M Reidy (0-1). Subs: M Reidy for Windle (14 mins), N Frewen for Ahern (29 mins); M Kelly for M Reidy (53 mins).

Referee: D Joyce, Galway.