Westmeath 3-9 Derry 1-9:A searing opening 25-minute spell saw a razor-sharp Westmeath put Derry to the sword at Celtic Park yesterday.

Derry simply withered under the force of the visitors' onslaught. By the 24th minute goals from Denis Glennon and the outstanding Martin Flanagan had given the visitors a 2-3 to 0-1 lead. Derry managed to narrow the gap to four points by the break but they never looked like reeling in the Leinster men.

Early points from skipper Dessie Dolan, Fergal Wilson and Alan Mangan settled Westmeath before Paul Bannon set up Glennon for their first goal and a 1-3 to 0-0 lead after nine minutes.

Derry's Eoin Bradley pointed but that effort was more than cancelled out on 12 minutes when Martin Flanagan's long-range free was fumbled into his own net by goalkeeper Barry Gillis.

Derry missed the composure of absent skipper Kevin McGuckin in their full-back line as Westmeath continued to run riot and Gillis had to be sharp to tip Glennon's blasted shot over the bar. Mangan added another point in the 25th minute to extend the lead to 10 points.

Points from Derry's James Conway, Eoin Bradley (free) and Paddy Bradley reduced the deficit before Enda Muldoon fisted home a goal from Eoin Bradley's diagonal ball in injury time to narrow the gap to 2-5 to 1-4.

Paddy Bradley notched the first score of the second half to leave only a goal between the teams before Dolan's free steadied the ship for Westmeath on 40 minutes.

Sixty seconds later Dolan sliced open the Derry back line with a sublime pass which afforded Mangan the time and space to crash the ball home.

From that point on the game was over as a contest as Derry heads dropped. Further points from Mangan, Glennon and substitute John Connellan helped maintain Westmeath's healthy advantage until the finish.

WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; F Boyle, M Ennis, K Gavin; A Rigney, D O'Donoghue, D Heavin; M Flanagan (1-0), D Healy; F Wilson (0-1), P Bannon, J Smyth; D Dolan (0-2), A Mangan (1-3), D Glennon (1-2). Subs: P Martin for Healy (four mins), J Connellan (0-2) for Martin (half-time), P Torney for Smyth, (48 mins), J Farrell for Torney (58 mins).

DERRY: B Gillis; R Murray, G O'Kane, J Keenan; P Cartin. S M Lockhart, L Hinphey; Patsy Bradley, J Conway (0-1); J Kelly, E Muldoon (1-2, one free), M Lynch; Paul Bradley, Paddy Bradley (0-3), E Bradley (0-3, one free). Subs: R Wilkinson for Paul Bradley (half-time), G Donaghy for Kelly (48 mins), M Friel for Patsy Bradley (54 mins), A McCartney for Paddy Bradley (62).

Referee: C Reynolds (Down).