Westmeath beat Dublin in extra time to win Leinster SFC title

Westmeath won the Leinster Senior Football Championship after an extra-time thriller against Dublin at Croke Park on Sunday, securing a first provincial title since 2004. The teams were level at 0-22 apiece after 70 minutes, before Westmeath kicked clear in the additional 20 minutes to win 2-28 to 0-26.

Dublin, who had been among the dominant forces in Leinster in recent years, twice appeared to have momentum swing their way during the contest. In normal time, points were traded, leaving the match tied late before Dublin extended the game. Senan Baker’s late score forced extra time, setting up a decisive final period.

Westmeath made the early part of extra time count. After the sides went in level, the midlanders produced a scoring burst that included 14 unanswered points in the first half of extra time, turning a tight contest into a platform for victory. Brian Cooney supplied the key breakthrough with a goal in the opening half of extra time, and Dublin struggled to respond as Westmeath controlled possession and territory.

As the second half of extra time progressed, Westmeath added further scores to build an increasingly difficult deficit for Dublin to overhaul. John Heslin,...