Niall McCusker and other Derry players and officials celebrate

The duo hit all but a point of Derry's total as the Ulster side came good in the final 10 minutes after struggling in the third quarter.

Derry led 2-5 to 0-7 after a fine first half display but Westmeath hit back to lead with nine minutes left.

However, points from Eamon Burke, Muldoon and Bradley won the day.

Muldoon hit the opening score of the game in the first minute but Westmeath then enjoyed a period of superiority to forge into a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage.

A further Muldoon free cut Westmeath's lead in the 16th minute but the scrappy game then came to life when Paddy Bradley hammered in a spectacular goal in the 20th minute.

Kevin McGuckin won the ball on the right wing and after the ball was directed into Bradley, the Glenullin man blasted the ball into the top left hand corner of the net.

Westmeath recovered to cut Derry's lead to 1-4 to 0-6 by the half-hour but the Oak Leafers then struck a second goal with Muldoon producing a cool finish with a shot from 18 yards after he had won possession 30 yards out.

Denis Glennon had a glorious goal chance for the Leinster champions two minutes before the interval but Derry goalkeeper Barry Gillis stood tall and made a vital save.

Right on half-time, Glennon had another sniff of a goal chance but his handling let him down and Derry went in 2-5 to 0-7 ahead at the break.

These players are magnificent and I am so proud of them Derry boss Mickey Moran

The third quarter was scrappy but Westmeath gradually began to nibble at Derry's lead.

Enda Muldoon's 41st minute point was Derry's only score of the opening 25 minutes of the second period.

By the 61st minute, Westmeath were ahead with Dessie Dolan pointing and seemed set to win against a wilting Derry outfit.

However, Derry substitute Eamon Burke then hammered over his first ever championship point to level the game with seven minutes of normal time left.

With substitutes Burke, Conleth Gilligan, Gavin Donaghy and Gerard O'Kane giving Derry renewed strength, Enda Muldoon then hammered over an inspirational point to restore the Oak Leafers' lead.

Four minutes from time, Bradley, who had seemed to be affected by his well-publicised heel injury in the second period, won a vital free and Muldoon's kick put two between the sides again.

Derry's self-doubt had disappeared and Mickey Moran's side held on with little difficulty in the closing moments.

In the second quarter-final, Kerry claimed a comfortable 1-15 to 1-8 over a very disappointing Dublin outfit to set up a semi-final meeting with Derry on 29 August.

A poor first half saw the sides go in level at 0-5 to 0-5 but Kerry then took control and Dara O Cinneide's goal midway through the second half effectively ended the contest.

Jason Sherlock's late goal was little consolation for the well-beaten Dubs.

Derry: B Gillis, K McGuckin, N McCusker, SM Lockhart, F McEldowney, P McFlynn, P Kelly, Patsy Bradley, F Doherty, J Donaghy, J McBride, C Moran, J Bradley, Paddy Bradley (1-2), E Muldoon (1-6). Subs: E Burke (0-1), G Gilligan, G O'Kane, G Donaghy.

Westmeath: G Connaughton, J Keane, J Davitt, D O'Donoghue, D Heavin, D Healy, M Ennis, R O'Connell, D O'Shaughnessy, B Morley, P Conway, F Wilson (0-2), A Mangan (0-1), D Glennon (0-2), D Dolan (0-5). Subs: J Fallon (0-2), G Dolan (0-1).