Westmeath ... 0-13 Louth ... 0-11Westmeath were comfortable winners over Louth at the Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda yesterday afternoon and were rewarded with a quarter-final trip to Kildare next Sunday.
For Louth it might be a new year, but the old failings were again in evidence as they kicked 18 wides.
The visitors opened their tally early with two points inside the opening two minutes from Seamus Mitchell and a JP Casey free after Louth's Jonathan Clerkin was booked.
Louth responded through Mark Stanfield and David Reid before JP Rooney gave the home side a 0-3 to 0-2 lead after 13 minutes.
Wilson, playing at wing forward, scored his first of seven points on 16 minutes to level the match as Weatmeath went on to lead 0-8 to 0-5 at half-time.
Casey and Christy Grimes exchanged points on the restart but Wilson kicked his sixth point three minutes into the half as the visitors' dominance in midfield made life difficult for the Louth forwards.
Patrick Keenan pulled back a point to make it 0-10 to 0-7 but Wilson's seventh point restored Westmeath's three-point cushion.
Both sides had goal chances in the final quarter with Westmeath's PJ Ward and then Rory O'Connell shoting wideand Louth's Cathal O'Hanlon was just over with an attempt 10 minutes from time.
In a late flurry Jonathan Clerkin pointed for Louth, PJ Ward responded for Westmeath and Aaron Hoey pointed for Louth.
WESTMEATH: G Connaughton; D Heavin, D Mitchell, K Henson; D Kilmartin, D Gavin, D McDermott; R O'Connell, D O'Shaughnessy; F Wilson (0-7, 4 fs), S Colleary, S Michell (0-1); A Mangan, M Ennis, JP Casey (0-3, 2 fs). Subs: PJ Ward (0-1) for Mangan (51), V Gavin (0-1) for D McDermott (49), C Whyte for JP Casey (66).
LOUTH: S Reynolds; R Sherlock, A Hoey (0-1), A Page; J Clerkin (0-1), P McGinnity, J Neary; S O'Hanlon; M Farrelly; D Clarke (0-1), C Grimes (0-2), O McDonnell; D Reid (0-1), M Stanfield (0-2, 1 f), JP Rooney (0-1). Subs: S Gerrard for Neary (35), P Keenan (0-1) for Clarke (half time), C O'Hanlon (0-1) for D Reid (49), M Brennan for McDonnell (51), D Brennan for Stanfield (68).
Referee: S Farrell (Dublin).
