Offaly 3-7 Westmeath 1-11:DEFENSIVE FRAILTY, which resulted in the concession of three first-half goals, proved costly for strongly-fancied Westmeath against Offaly in the quarter-final of the Leinster minor football championship in Tullamore on Saturday.

The first hour was littered with petty fouling and culminated with referee Alan McKenna producing a straight red for Westmeath full-forward Alan Fitzpatrick.

The visitors looked the better-balanced side at the outset as they raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the 10th minute. However, goals by Anton Sullivan, Keith Lawlor and Paddy Rigney turned the game Offaly's way and they deservedly led by 3-3 to 1-6 at the break before adding a further brace of points on the resumption

Westmeath took a tighter grip and were boosted by a 39th-minute goal by John Egan. Offaly's lead was whittled down to just two points on a few occasions, but the home side held out to clinch a semi-final place.

OFFALY: S Nally; D Kelly, J Moloney, L Dunning; D Coughlan B Geraghty, A Murphy; B Connor (0-2, 1 free), N A Graham 0-1 (free); K Lawlor (1-1), P Rigney (1-1), R Allen (0-1); B Allen, A Sullivan (1-1), A Kelly. Subs: M Brazil for Dunning (50 mins), R Knight for A Kelly (54 mins).

WESTMEATH: J McMahon; B Moran, C Sheridan, S Mulvihill; D Donohoe, D Malynn, J Dolan; D Keenan, G Egan; K Martin, C Lynam 1-1 (1-0, pen), J Egan (0-4); I Coffey (0-1, free), A Fitzpatrick (0-1), T McDaniel (0-3). Subs: T Barry for Martin (half-time), K Mitchell (0-1) for Malynn (50 mins).

Referee: A McKenna (Louth).