Liam Kerr, Down, and James Dolan, Westmeath, during the Allianz Football League Division 3 Final at Croke Park. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Allianz Football League Division Three Final
Westmeath 2-10 Down 0-13
By Paul Keane at Croke Park
Two goals from midfielder Jonathan Lynam propelled Westmeath to another precious piece of Croke Park silverware, the Allianz Football League Division Three title.
Lynam registered three-pointers in both halves and his second in the 60th minute put Des Dolan's side into a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Sam McCartan played a key role in that second goal with a clever run to free the midfielder and the Mullingar man added two more points from 45s which helped seal the triumph.
McCartan finished with four points and was a deserved Man of the Match as Westmeath, the 2022 Tailteann Cup winners, enjoyed another landmark win at GAA Headquarters.
Manager Dolan will be most pleased with how they finished the game strongly and bounced back from last weekend's Round 7 loss to Sligo.
They will be back in action next weekend against Wicklow in the opening round of the Leinster SFC.
It's more disappointment for Down who suffered a similar feeling to last year when they were beaten by Meath in the Tailteann Cup final.
Conor Laverty's side will seek to bounce back when they play Antrim in the Ulster SFC in Newry on April 13.
Jersey numbers meant little to the Division 3 table toppers who had Odhran Murdock, wearing number nine, contesting the throw-in before immediately moving to the full-forward position where he remained for the first-half and was marked by Charlie Drumm.
Pat Havern, with number 14 on his back, contested both throw-ins next to Murdock and stayed mostly in the middle third while number 13 Danny Magill, named on last year's Tailteann Cup Team of the Year at left half-back, started in the half-back line.
Down ultimately sought to defend in numbers and to capitalise on their pace by hitting Westmeath hard on the break though it took a while for them to impose themselves.
The scores were tied at 0-03 apiece after 20 minutes and it wasn't until the second quarter that the game began to open up, mostly in Down's favour.
Down added five more points before the break with free-taker Havern accounting for four of those.
Westmeath, who withdrew captain Kevin Maguire from their lineup, briefly took the lead in the 28th minute when Lynam punched to the net, 1-03 to 0-05.
Luke Loughlin lofted in a high ball off his weaker right foot and Lynam, named earlier this week in the Sigerson Cup Team of the Year, beat goalkeeper John O'Hare in an aerial contest on the goal line.
Loughlin added another point from a free closer to half-time but Westmeath didn't score from play again until the 50th minute while Down finished the half stronger with three Havern points in a row from placed balls.
That left Down with a 0-08 to 1-04 half-time lead and the narrow gap surprised few considering the teams drew following a similar arm wrestle in Mullingar on St Patrick's Day.
The third quarter was a frustrating affair for the 12,148 who made the trip to Croke Park.
One passage of play summed up how tense things had become; Westmeath camped in their own half in the 46th minute and forced to go backwards after winning a turnover because they had no-one in the attacking half.
Ex-AFL man Ray Connellan introduced some quality with a brilliant 50th minute catch at midfield before playing in Westmeath colleague Conor Dillon for the levelling point, 1-06 to 0-09.
They were level again before Oisin Savage nudged Down one up with a 57th minute point.
The 2010 All-Ireland finalists couldn't kick on though as Westmeath turned up the heat and finished strongest to win it.
Lynam nailed his second goal on the hour mark after a clever break into the danger zone and lay-off by McCartan who then swung over two points from 45s.
Scorers for Westmeath: Jonathan Lynam 2-0, Sam McCartan 0-4 (0-2 45), Robbie Forde 0-3 (0-2f), Luke Loughlin 0-1 (0-1f), David Lynch 0-1, Conor Dillon 0-1.
Scorers for Down: Pat Havern 0-7 (0-7f), Liam Kerr 0-3, Odhran Murdock 0-1, Miceal Rooney 0-1, Oisin Savage 0-1.
Westmeath: Jason Daly; Daniel Scahill, Charlie Drumm, Jamie Gonoud; Sam McCartan, James Dolan, David Lynch; Ray Connellan, Jonathan Lynam; Andy McCormack, Ronan O'Toole, Conor Dillon; Luke Loughlin, Stephen Smith, Robbie Forde.
Subs: Senan Baker for Smith 45, Lorcan Dolan for Loughlin 50, Matthew Whittaker for Dillon 54, Nigel Harte for Gonoud 60, John Heslin for Forde 71.
Down: John O'Hare; Ryan McEvoy, Peter Fegan, Pierce Laverty; Finn McElroy, Danny Magill, Ceilum Doherty; Pat Havern, Johnny Flynn; Miceal Rooney, Liam Kerr, Daniel Guinness; James Guinness, Odhran Murdock, John McGovern.
Subs: Oisin Savage for McGovern 39, Shane Annett for James Guinness 44, Conor Francis for McElroy 54, Barry O'Hagan for Rooney 61, Rory Mason for Flynn 66.
Referee: Barry Tiernan (Dublin).