Fermanagh - 0-14 Westmeath - 0-7: The 6,128 spectators who turned out at Cusack Park, Mullingar on Saturday evening were witnesses to the finest display by any team in the senior football championship so far this year.
The visitors dominated the game from beginning to end, allowing Westmeath no room to even contemplate a revival.
While Rory Gallagher directed proceedings along the half-forward line, his cousin Raymond ran the Westmeath back-line ragged - finishing with six points from play.
For the deadly corner forward, it was a fitting response to the critics who felt he should not have started, after he under-performed somewhat against Armagh in the Ulster semi-final.
In Westmeath, however, the critics have plenty of fresh material. The game demonstrated how much this year's team is but a shadow of the side that took the 2001 championship by storm.
Defeat to Meath in the first round was forgivable, and the six-day blues was cited after the narrow victory away to Antrim. But it was total collapse in Mullingar on Saturday.
Up front, after early impressive efforts from Martin Flanagan and Fergal Wilson, Westmeath began to freeze in front of the posts.
At half-time, Fermanagh had already built up an unassailable 0-9 to 0-2 lead - Westmeath claiming both their scores inside the first eight minutes.
The home side rallied early in the second half to land five pointed frees, but Fermanagh never lost control of the game.
Westmeath would endure a scoreless final quarter, their misery summed up when Dessie Dolan's missed a goal chance in the 64th minute.
Manager Luke Dempsey blamed their lack of physical presence, as well as their lack of confidence after a poor league campaign for the loss. But he promised Westmeath would be back.
"I have great faith in the Westmeath players to come back next year and have a good challenge for the Leinster championship, which is our ultimate goal," he said.
"The third year is crucial to my whole managerial set-up. If we don't perform next year, then I would have looked on the three years as a failure and I am quite confident that it won't be."
Meanwhile, Fermanagh's dream for 2002 is still alive.
FERMANAGH: Ronan Gallagher; C Fitzpatrick, B Owens, M Lilly; S McDermott, J Gilheany, N Cox; P Brewster, M McGrath; R Johnston (0-1), Rory Gallagher (0-4, two frees), T Brewster (0-2); Raymond Gallagher (0-6), S Maguire, P Green. Subs: C Donnelly (0-1) for Green (60 mins); L McBarron for Maguire (67); R McCabe for Raymond Gallagher (71); M Greene for McGrath (72).
WESTMEATH: A Lennon; D Brady, J Keane, F Murray; B Morley, P Conway, D Murphy; R O'Connell, D O'Shaughnessy; F Wilson (0-4, three frees), M Ennis, V Gavin; JP Casey (0-2, two frees), M Flanagan (0-1), D Dolan. Subs: D Heavin for Gavin (19); G Heavin for Conway (inj 29); D Hughes for Flanagan; D Mitchell for Murphy (both half-time); A Mangan for Wilson (57).
Referee: M Ryan (Limerick).
