GOAL-HUNGRY Westmeath drowned the Kerry shamrock in no uncertain fashion, when they proved far too potent in front of goal, beating a disappointing Kingdom side by eight points.

Westmeath were by far the stronger and more resourceful side as they condemned Kerry to their second loss in a row and it is difficult not to agree with one wag in an attendance of sixty-four diehards, who maintained that St Patrick may well have banished hurlers rather than snakes out of the Kingdom.

Kerry had Ardfert football hero John Egan back but it mattered little as Westmeath dominated against the wind their full-forward line shredding a porous Kerry fullback line with Barry Kennedy being destroyer in chief.

Westmeath got on top and two goals from Barry Kennedy and Daniel Carty saw the visitors lead 2-6 to07 at the interval and the visitors took over thanks to an early Derek McNicholas goal in the second half which was followed by three unanswered points from McNicholas, Ronan Whelan and sub Leo Smith. Daniel Carty poached another goal late on as both side continued to go in opposite directions.

KERRY T Flynn; A O'Connor, A Healy, E Fitzgerald; C Harris, A Keane, T Murnane; L Boyle, J Casey; K Hanna"n, M Conway, J Egan;

M Boyle, J M Dooley, B O'Sullivan Subs E Corridan for Murnane, J Grif"n for O'Connor, J Bergin for Keane, M Quilter for Healy WESTMEATH P Burke; A Price, C Murtagh, E Price; N Gavin, B Murtagh, D McCormack; R Whelan, B Connaughton; J Clarke, J Shaw, A Mitchell; D McNicholas, D Carty, B Kennedy Subs R Jackson for Whelan, D Kiernan for Murtagh, L Smith for Clarke, C Jordan for Price, E Loughlan for Mitchell Referee C McAllister (Cork)