Tailteann Cup Group Three
Westmeath 4-24 Antrim 1-17
Antrim’s opening game in this year’s Tailteann Cup didn’t go to plan when they were comprehensively beaten by a Luke Loughlin inspired Westmeath in Cusack Park, Mullingar on Sunday.
Loughlin finished the game with a personal tally of 1-17 which matched the visitors total for the afternoon and Antrim looked a dejected side as the clock counted down to conclusion.
Andy McEntee’s side made a promising start in Mullingar with full-back Eunan Walsh getting forward to point them ahead in the 3d minute with Sam McCartan levelling for the home side before Ryan Murray wasted an opportunity to restore the Antrim lead.
McCartan edged Westmeath ahead for the first time and Antrim hit a couple of wides before Dominic McEnhill edged them ahead for a seconds time with a well struck 2 pointer in the 10th minute.
It got even better for the Saffrons when Paddy McBride hit a second 2 pointer from distance to move them 0-5 to 0-2 ahead before Luke Loughlin made his first contribution on the score board when he pointed a free in the 14th minute.
Loughlin followed with another 2 pointer from a free to level the contest with 16 minutes gone but 30 seconds later Marc Jordan struck a fine point at the other end to edge the visitors ahead once more.
Up to this point Andy McEntee’s side had given as good as they got but Sam McCartan started and finished a move to fire home the game’s opening goal and things went from bad to worse for Antrim as Mick Byrne seemed to lose the flight of a Danny McCartan shot and it ended in the net.
That was in the 19th minute and Adam Loughran replied with a point at the other end and Antrim then had what looked like a legitimate claim for a close range free and possibly a penalty waved aside when Marc Jordan was dragged down as he bore down on goal.
McEnhill for Antrim and Loughlin for the home side traded points before fortune finally seemed to favour the visitors as Kavan Keenan was on hand to collect a rebound shot from Paddy McBride and fire past McCormick in the Westmeath goal and reduce the gap to the minimum.
Loughlin moved the home side three in front as he fired over from outside the arc and then Westmeath were awarded what seemed a very harsh penalty when Eunan Walsh got back to deny Ronan Wallace but referee Tommy Murphy pointed to the spot, much to the despair of the Antrim defender.
Luke Loughlin made no mistake from the spot and Westmeath could have had a fourth goal only for Byrne to do well to smother Danny McCartan’s effort as Antrim went upfield and won a free, which McEnhill converted.
Marc Jordan followed with one from play, but another from Loughlin, which brought his first-half tally to 1-7, ensured his team led 3-9 to 1-10 at the break.
McEnhill pulled two back straight after the restart from a free, but Eoghan McCabe hit back with a two from play immediately and Westmeath again went close to another goal, but Ronan Wallace’s shot rebounded off the crossbar.
It was a let-off for Antrim but they responded at the other end when Mick Byrne converted from distance for 2 points but Robbie Forde replied at the other end and Loughlin landed another two pointer to move his side six ahead.
Westmeath were starting to get on top as the Antrim resistance began to falter and Loughlin fisted over before Whittaker waltzed through for a fourth Westmeath goal and put the contest out of reach.
Substitute Niall Burns pulled one back, before the crossbar again came to Antrim’s rescue with the frame of the goal this time denying Lorcan Dolan but once again the hosts were able to cut Antrim open with their direct running.
The scores were now coming thick and fast and Stephen Smyth opened his account while the superb Loughlin continued to add to his personal tally with three, including a two-point free.
Ryan McQuillan (free) and Lorcan Dolan exchanged points as he game entered the final 10 minutes, but at this stage Westmeath were out of site and Antrim were looking deflated.
Niall Burns responded with a point and was then denied a goal by McCormack before Loughlin kicked a two with the lasts score of the game to finish with 1-17 and cap a spectacular performance.
Antrim now meet Limerick, who defeated London on Saturday, in Belfast next week and can still qualify if they defeat them and follow it with a win over the Exiles in their final game.
Westmeath: C McCormack; D Giles, Sam Smyth, J Gonoud; J Moran, R Wallace, S McCartan (1-2); K O’Sullivan, E McCabe; M Whittaker (1-0), D McCartan (1-0), B Cooney; L Loughlin (1-17, 1-0 pen, 3xtp, 2x2pf), Stephen Smith (0-1), N Harte (0-2, 1xtp).
Subs: R Forde (0-1) for B Cooney (11), L Dolan (0-1) for D McCartan (41), K Martin for Stephen Smith (52), T Baker for R Wallace (55), D Scahill for S McCartan (64).
Antrim: M Byrne (0-2, 1xtpf); E McCabe, E Walsh (0-1), K Keenan (1-0); J McAuley, D McAleese, P Finnegan; C Hand, M Jordan (0-2); R Boyle, A Loughran (0-1), P McBride (0-2, 1xtp); R McQuillan (0-1f), R Murray, D McEnhill (0-6, 1xtp, 1xtpf, 1f)
Subs: N Burns (0-2) for A Loughran (HT), Fionn Nagle for R Murray (HT), C Stewart for C Hand (48), C Higgins for R McQuillan (60), J Morgan for J McAuley (60).
Referee: T Murphy (Galway)