Interview: Ian O'Riordan finds the Westmeath manager upbeat after his team's slightly fortuitous jump in status.

Of the eight counties that find themselves in Sunday's semi-finals of the Allianz National Football League, Westmeath can feel the luckiest. Going into the last round they needed a miracle - as this newspaper put it - to make the Division Two semi-finals, the nice little bonus prize that goes along with promotion.

Only after the dust settled on the dramatic events around the country did Westmeath realise their victory over Louth would see them through, thanks mainly to Waterford's shock win over Cavan. That set up Sunday's semi-final clash with Donegal, while Louth still progressed to meet Limerick.

"We went up to Louth looking for another good test with championship football coming down the line," says Westmeath manager Tomás Ó Flatharta. "In fairness, nobody really expected Waterford to beat Cavan. It just proves once again that nothing is ever decided until the final whistle.

"But we were just about to go for our warm-down when somebody shouted that Waterford were up by three points. That raised a fair bit of excitement, but we were still waiting around for a good while, obviously a little anxious. It was only when we got back into the dressing-room that someone came in to tell us Waterford had definitely won. And that was a great lift to everybody.

"The main reward for that is our place in Division One football next year, but we also have this game against Donegal to look forward to now. We're expecting another big test from them, exactly what we want with our championship opener just four weeks away."

Yet, with promotion the main prize, questions remain about the importance - if any - of winning the Division Two title outright.

Monaghan's victory last year triggered celebrations of championship proportions, but having won this title themselves as recently as 2003, Westmeath mightn't be that bothered.

Ó Flatharta disagrees: "Obviously promotion was the important thing and definitely represents a big step in the right direction for us. Going up to Division One was the goal we had set for ourselves at the start of the year, and we achieved that now.

"But with the championship only weeks away we'll want to be as competitive as possible. I suppose at this stage the performance is probably a bit more important than the result. But still, you definitely go out to win every game you can at this time of the year."

Donegal will bring a lively challenge to Sunday's game, set for Breffni Park in Cavan, having impressed right through Division Two A under their new manager, Brian McIvor.

Westmeath will field their strongest team, the most notable absentee being their former All Star Rory O'Connell, who has been forced by chronic back problems to retire, at age 31, from the intercounty scene - an unfortunate outcome for the talented midfielder, who returned from a previous retirement at the start of the season.

Ó Flatharta will welcome back goalkeeper Gary Connaughton and defender John Keane, and win or lose on Sunday, Westmeath are already looking forward to mixing it again with the big boys in 2007.

Their aim will be to regain the sort of form that saw them win their first Leinster title in 2004.

"We're certainly looking forward to the challenge of playing Division One next year," says the manager. "We were there before, and we have good footballers in Westmeath, and we'll put up battles with the best of them.

"But I suppose we have played Division Two this season, and maybe we didn't play as well in all our games as we were expected to do. But I think our performance last Sunday, and the bonus we got at the end of it, does represent a huge lift, the kind of thing you do need going into the championship."