Roscommon bank more holiday weekend points

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE/Division 1A:  Roscommon  0-16Westmeath  0-12Following their dramatic draw with All Ireland champions Galway on Saturday, Roscommon completed their two-match weekend programme with a comprehensive win over Westmeath at Hyde Park.

They put together a storming finish to open up a six-point gap as the game entered the last 10 minutes.

Already short a number of key players, Westmeath were forced to line out without midfielder Rory O'Connell.

They were soon behind following points from Roscommon's Jonathan Dunning and Nigel Dineen, but four unanswered points within a three-minute spell midway through the half put the visitors in front before Stephen Lohan and Dineen pointed to level the scores after 20 minutes .

The sides were level twice more before Roscommon drew away to lead 0-8 to 0-6 at the break, thanks to points from Lohan and Dineen.

Fergal Wilson reduced the gap within 10 seconds of the restart, but by the time the same player got Westmeath's second score of the half 10 minutes later, the home side had taken a firm grip on the game with points from Dunning, Dineen and Lohan.

Roscommon benefited from a double substitution at half-time - Fergal O'Donnell bolstered midfield while John Whyte replaced full back Fearghal Carroll.

JP Casey reduced the lead to two points from a Westmeath free, but Roscommon dominated the closing stages, with two points from Lohan and further scores from Denis Gavin, John Hanley and Dunning setting up a comfortable win.

ROSCOMMON: D Thompson, D Gavin (0-1), F Carroll, I Daly, A McPadden, F Grehan, P Noone (0-1), S O'Neill, D Casey, J Tiernan, S Lohan (0-5, 3 frees), G Cox, N Dineen (0-5, 1 free), J Dunning (0-3), J Hanley (0-1). Subs: R Cox for McPadden, M Raftery for Gavin, F O'Donnell for Casey, J Whyte for Carroll, G Lohan for S Lohan.

WESTMEATH: A Lennon, J Davitt, K Ryan, K McKinley, D Healy, R Casey, J Keane, P Conway, D O'Shaughnessy (0-1), V Gavin (0-3), F Wilson (0-3), D Gavin (0-1), J Fallon (0-2), M Flanagan, JP Casey (0-2, 1 free). Subs: K Burke for D Gavin, D Mitchell for Ryan, A Mangan for Fallon, T Cleary for Wilson, D Heavin for Casey.

Referee : G Lynch (Fermanagh).