Roscommon rediscovered some of the fire and determination which saw them run All-Ireland champions Galway so close in last year's Connacht championship when they took the vital promotion points in this crunch Division 2A game against much fancied neighbours Westmeath at Hyde Park yesterday.
A crowd of 6,000 got full value for money in a highly entertaining and often controversial game which should have been won more convincingly by the home side, yet could just as easily have ended in a draw.
Referee Kevin Walsh was booed off the field at the end and attracted the ire of the home crowd for many of his decisions.
Besides being on the wrong side of some of the Clare official's more controversial rulings, Roscommon followers and team mentors were incensed when what appeared to be a perfectly legitimate Francie Grehan point was signalled wide by an umpire three minutes from full time.
Luckily the decision did not rob Roscommon of a fully deserved win as Damien Healy shot wide two minutes later with Westmeath's final scoring chance.
Three minutes earlier Ger Heavin failed to convert a close-range free, awarded when Martin Flanagan was late tackled, his kick for the equalising score dropping short of the target.
The game was plunged into further controversy midway through the second half when Frankie Dolan fisted the ball to the Westmeath net. But the score was disallowed, apparently for an illegal hand pass from Conor Connelly.
Roscommon trailed by a point at the break, but got through for a crucial goal 10 minutes after the restart when Lorcan Dowd was pulled down inside the Westmeath square. Derek Duggan's penalty kick was brilliantly stopped by Aidan Lennon, but Duggan blasted the rebound to the roof of the net.
That goal put the home side 1-6 to 1-4 in front and three minutes later Duggan added another point. Dowd had a chance of wrapping it up for the Connacht side three minutes later but fisted wide from close range, and the same player failed to find the net for a second time when put clean through nine minutes from full time.
Such was Roscommon's dominance in the second half that it took Westmeath 21 minutes to add to their interval total when Heavin converted a free. Two minutes later their most dangerous forward Martin Flanagan added another to leave just a point between the sides and set the match up for a pulsating final 10 minutes.
Roscommon made a whirlwind start and were 0-4 in front after just six minutes. Westmeath opened their account after 10 minutes with a pointed free from Des Dolan and they drew level when centre half forward Flanagan goaled three minutes later, before going on to lead 1-4 to 0-6 at the break.
ROSCOMMON: D Thompson; D Gavin, D Donlon, E Gavin; R Callaghan, M Ryan, C Heneghan; D Connellan, G Kane; C Connelly (0-1), D Duggan (1-1), E Lohan (0-2, frees); F Dolan, F Grehan (0-2), L Dowd (0-1). Sub: C McDonald for Heneghan.
WESTMEATH: A Lennon; A Lyons, J Cooney, D Brady; D Healy, D Mitchell, K Ryan; R O'Connell, P Conway; L Gillivan, M Flanagan (1-2), S Colleary; G Heavin (0-1, free), K Lyons, D Dolan (0-3, two frees). Subs: D O'Shaughnessy for Gillivan, F Murray for A Lyons.
Referee: K Walsh (Clare).
