Westmeath 0-10 Wicklow 0-7:A BIGGER and physically stronger Westmeath team progressed to the semi-final of the Leinster minor football championship on Saturday but were made to work hard by battling Wicklow at Aughrim.

Wicklow had their chances to snatch a win but their 16-year-old corner-forward Michael O’Connor saw his attempt to volley a goal in the first quarter skim the outside of Brendan Doyle’s right hand post and two frees come to nought near the end when Wicklow were just a point behind, 0-8 to 0-7.

WESTMEATH: B Doyle; B Donoghue, E Quigley, R Gorman; A McCormack, L Corless, K Daly; J Barrett, A Curley; T Watts, G Leech (0-4, 0-2 frees), TJ Fox; D McDermott, L Dolan (0-4), J Corbally. Subs: R Connellan (0-1) for Fox, S Dempsey for Corbally, R Caffrey for Watts, S Moran for McCormack, PJ Maguire (0-1) for Curley.

WICKLOW: R Fitzgerald; J Miley, R Marron, C Ó Duallacháin; C Hatton, D Lohan (0-1), PJ Daly; P Phelan, T O'Donoghue; D Dawson, P Ellis, A Nugent; C Healy, C French (0-2), M O'Connor (0-4, frees). Subs: A Fleming for Hatton, D Tompkins for Healy, A Howard for Nugent.

Referee:F Barry (Kildare).