Dublin survive Wicklow scare while Westmeath oust Meath in Leinster SFC

April 19, 2026

Westmeath's Matthew Whittaker celebrates at the full-time whistle against Meath ©INPHO/Grace Halton

Meath are out of the Leinster senior football championship after being dealt a 4-18 to 0-25 defeat by neighbours Westmeath in Tullamore this afternoon.

The first big upset in this year’s Delaney Cup race saw goals making the difference for Mark McHugh’s team as the Royals’ late surge left them five points short in the end.

Having thumped Longford last weekend, the Lake men picked up where they left off in his one with goals from Matthew Whittaker and Shane Corcoran sending them towards a deserved 2-9 to 0-9 half-time lead.

Luke Loughlin nailed a two-pointer early in the second-half to extend Westmeath’s advantage and it’d take couple of points from substitute James Conlon to get Robbie Brennan’s side back within two goals.

Sam McCartan’s free pushed the men in maroon back up to a seven-point lead which would be increased to double figures when Robert Forde hit the net on 55 minutes.

The Division 2 champions pushed hard on the closing quarter of an hour, sailing over two-pointers via Jack Flynn and Ruairi Kinsella, and a Jordan Morris free made it a two-point game ahead of Danny McCartan’s goal at the other end putting a seal on Westmeath’s provincial semi-final berth.

In Aughrim, Dublin were made battle to the end to secure a 2-16 to 2-14 win against Wicklow and avoid what would’ve been a massive upset.

Eoin Darcy had the ball in the Dubs’ net after four minutes and the hosts would lead for the next half-hour until back-to-back two-pointers from Paddy Small and Killian McGinnis were followed up by a Charlie McMorrow goal right before the break.

With manager Ger Brennan suspended, Dean Rock was deputising on the sideline for the Dubs and they looked to build on their 1-11 to 1-7 interval lead, but a pair of Dean Healy two-pointers and another Darcy goal had Wicklow back in front.

Sean Bugler levelled the sides and points from Colm Basquel and Niall Scully followed ahead of a goal from Small serving to settle some nerves for the visitors.

A long distance free from Oisin McGraynor brought Oisin McConville’s side back within three, but the Dubs held out after seeing substitute Liam Smith red-carded in the closing stages.

As for defending champions Louth, they kept things firmly to script with an emphatic 1-25 to 0-11 win over Wexford at Netwatch Cullen Park.

The Slaneysiders registered the first three scores of the game before the Wee County eventually took control with the help of points from Sam Mulroy, Ciaran Keenan and Dara McDonnell, and two-pointers late in the half from Keenan and All-Star Mulroy would see them moving towards a 0-14 to 0-5 lead at the break.

A brace of points from Tadhg McDonnell and a two-pointer by Conor Earley saw the holders going up by 13 ahead of Mulroy hammering in their goal to all but seal a return to the last four of the eastern province for his team.


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