Meath are through to the last four after a hard-fought 1-10 to 1-8 victory over neighbours Westmeath at Pairc Tailteann.

A crowd of 800 was kept guessing right to the end tonight as winning goalkeeper Jack Hannigan pulled off a terrific injury-time save to ensure a semi-final meeting with the winners of tomorrow night's quarter-final between Kildare and Offaly.

The winning of this game for Sean Barry's team came in a purple patch midway through the second half when they reeled off five successive scores to transform a 1-6 to 1-4 deficit into a 1-9 to 1-6 advantage.

After an even opening to the game, county senior Eamonn Wallace's 26th-minute goal propelled Meath into a 1-4 to 0-4 lead with half time approaching. But Westmeath senior Ray Connellan replied with an injury-time major from a penalty for the away team, who led by 1-5 to 1-4 at the short whistle.

Ben Duggan and Kevin Ryan came into the Royal County starting XV in place of Harry Rooney and Paddy Kennelly and it was the hosts who started more purposefully only to hit two wides inside the opening two minutes.

In a low-quality opening quarter, the sides managed just three points, Shane Dempsey clipping over two beauties for the Lake County after Ruairi O'Coileain had opened the scoring from a tenth-minute free. Centre forward Connellan (Athlone) increased the gap in the 17th minute.

When the visitors reduced their arrears through O'Coileain (free), it was that man Dempsey who replied with his third superb point of the opening half: 0-4 to 0-2.

Eamonn Wallace registered Meath's first point from play in the 23rd minute and followed up with another minor before calmly picking his spot to find the back of the net four minutes from the break.

But Connellan equalised from the spot despite Hannigan getting his fingertips to his shot and the same player clipped over a stunning lead point moments later to leave one in it at the interval.

Only three points were scored in the third quarter and Meath got two of those to leave the teams level after 45 minutes, 1-6 apiece. O'Coileain popped over a simple free from in front of the posts - his side's third successive point - with twelve minutes left to edge the visitors back ahead and a fifth successive Meath point made it 1-9 to 1-6.

But Connellan pulled one back before Westmeath substitute Michael Monaghan closed the gap to one. Another sub, Oisin Reilly, fired over a magnificent insurance point for the winners but the Lake men refused to give up…

In injury time, the losers had a great opportunity but Donaghmore-Ashbourne's Hannigan came to Meath's rescue with a magnificent save.

Meath - J Hannigan; M Flood, G McGowan, L Ferguson; S Dowling, B Power, S McEntee; A Flanagan, P Harnan; B Duggan, R O Coileain (0-7, 5f), J Wallace; S Lenehan, K Ryan, E Wallace (1-2). Subs: C Rooney for B Duggan, B Dardis for K Ryan, O Reilly (0-1) for J Wallace, C Carton for S McEntee.

Westmeath - B Doyle; B Sayeh, I Ilunga, R Gorman; D King, R Caffrey, K Daly; T Watts, G Delaney; D Conway, R Connellan (1-3, 1-0pen), J Barrett; S Corcoran, G Leech, S Dempsey (0-4). Subs: TJ Fox for J Barrett, M Monaghan (0-1) for G Leech, A Curley for D Conway, J Madden for T Watts, D McDermott for G Delaney, D Conway for B Sayeh.

Referee - F Smyth.

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