Westmeath v Clare at Páirc Chiaráin Athlone, Sunday 2pm (Sinead McHugh, Donegal)

It’s funny how things go sometimes as entering round 3 of the National League, Westmeath and Clare couldn’t have had a more similar path to this point. Full of optimism in a second season under Frank Browne, Westmeath were rocked by a sobering 16 point opening defeat to Cork in Páirc Ui Rinn before kickstarting their campaign with a last gasp draw against Donegal last time out. Anna Jones proved the hero with that equaliser along with a final quarter goal that provided a glimmer of hope that the home side could take all three points, particularly as the Ulster side were down to 14 players by that stage.

Of course, it was senior side Donegal’s second successive sharing of the spoils having had an even lower scoring stalemate with Clare on the opening weekend. Graham Shine’s new side would have been the more frustrated that they didn’t clinch victory that day but being a positive result, they hoped to build on that victory against a Rosco…