National Hurling League Division Two: Christy Ring Cup holders Westmeath beat an experimental Kerry side, 0-17 to 1-11, at Austin Stack Park yesterday.

Westmeath dominated the opening half, but their radar was well off and they shot 11 wides as Kerry - who were missing ace forward Shane Brick due to flu - struggled up front.

Three points from Brian Connaughton frees, and one each from play from Brian Smith, Niall Kilcoyne and John Shaw was a poor return as Kerry failed to score from play - John Egan's four points from frees leaving the home side trailing by two at the break, 0-4 to 0-6.

Kerry - with Pat Heffernan in charge on the sideline - resumed a transformed side and led, 1-8 to 0-7, with 15 minutes left.

But Johnny Dooley introduced three Clonkill players, who had won All-Ireland Intermediate club medals the previous day, and they made the difference.

Meanwhile, in Arklow, Wicklow's hurlers were made to work hard for a 1-16 to 0-17 win over Mayo. Inspired by dual player Keith Higgins at wing forward, Mayo clawed their way back from being 0-4 to 0-2 down to take a deserved lead of 0-11 to 0-9 into the second half.

But then Wicklow hit a purple patch to lay the foundations for their win. And it was captain and midfielder Jonathan O'Neill who produced the big performance, scoring another three points in the first four minutes, two from frees, and then crashing a 20-metre free to the net to give the home side a 1-12 to 0-11 cushion after 43 minutes.

In the last minute, Wicklow were clinging to a three-point lead, 1-16 to 0-16. Mayo missed a couple of goal chances before Derek McConn tried to volley a breaking ball to the Wicklow net, but the shot took wings and ended up over the bar, leaving Wicklow two-point winners.

At McKenna Park in Ballycran, two pointed frees by Karl English in the final two minutes gave Carlow a 0-14 to 1-11 draw with Down. It was a battle between the two star forwards on view. English lobbed over nine points, six from frees, while Down's Paul Braniff was on the mark with seven points, four from frees and one from a penalty.

Armagh finished strongly to dispose of London - 1-14 to eight points - at Killeavy. With one minute of normal time remaining Paul McCormack floated a beautiful 55-metre ball into the path of Gerard Enright and, from outside the 21, the Keady hurler drilled low and into the net to put the result beyond doubt.

In Navan, Meath recorded a surprisingly easy 1-25 to 0-8 victory over Derry, while, at Athleague, Kildare, took all the points with a 2-12 to 0-11 win over Roscommon.