Mark McHugh masterminds huge Westmeath upset win over Meath in Leinster

Mark McHugh’s Westmeath produced a stunning 4-18 to 0-25 victory over a shell-shocked Meath in a dramatic Leinster Football Championship encounter at O’Connor Park, eventually surviving a late surge to edge home in dramatic fashion. 

The win was sealed in the dying seconds when substitute Danny McCartan struck Westmeath’s fourth goal, a decisive blow that left Meath with no time to respond.

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McHugh’s underdogs laid the foundations in a dominant first half, leading 2-09 to 0-09 at the break. 

Although Meath started brightly with early scores from Jordan Morris and Eoghan Frayne, they failed to capitalise on dominance, registering several wides. 

Westmeath gradually settled, with Ray Connellan and Brandon Kelly steadying the ship before Matthew Whittaker’s close-range finish opened the scoring gap. 

The key turning point came just before half-time when Shane Corcoran pounced on a Meath lapse after Aaron Lynch missed a scoring chance at the other end, driving home Westmeath’s second goal and shifting momentum firmly their way.

After the restart, Westmeath extended their advantage through sharp attacking play, including a standout two-point effort from Luke O’Loughlin before his injury setback. 

Meath briefly revived through James Conlon’s introduction and Jack Flynn’s two-point score, but Westmeath responded with crucial scores from Robbie Forde and Sam McCartan to maintain control. 

Despite Meath cutting the gap to just two late on, a missed goal chance proved fatal. Westmeath managed the closing stages well before McCartan’s late goal confirmed a memorable and hard-earned victory.