Tailteann Cup Group Three
Westmeath 4-24 Antrim 1-17
IT was a difficult start to the Tailteann Cup for Antrim in Mullingar on Sunday as Group 3 favourites Westmeath romped to a 16-point victory.
Andy McEntee's men were in this game for 40 minutes, but the hosts completely took over thereafter and their ability to find the net ensured they kept hitting the Saffrons with hammer blows.
They hit four majors but could have doubled that total with their pace, direct running and support play causing the visitors all manner of problems.
The star of the show was undoubtedly Westmeath's Luke Loughlin who finished with 1-17 to his name - the scores a mix from play and dead balls - as his own tally matched that of Antrim's.
Antrim just couldn't get a bit of control the longer it went on and in many ways it was like their Ulster Championship loss to Armagh when competitive for a while before seeming to run out of gas.
They began brightly with Eunan Walsh thumping over, three minutes in, but Westmeath were back on terms through Sam McCartan and the wing-back would edge his side in front soon after.
It was nip-and-tuck early with Antrim reclaiming the lead as Dominic McEnhill curled over a two-pointer in the 10th minute, followed by another 2 from Patrick McBride who found his range from away out on the right sideline.
Luke Loughlin matched Antrim's tally of 1-17 on his own 
Luke Loughlin pulled one back and he then tied it up with a two-point free to leave the sides level on 0-5 by the midway point of the opening half.
A dummy and score from Marc Jordan edged the Saffrons back in front momentarily, but they would be hit by two goals in a minute. The first was well worked as McCartan began a good move, swapping passes with Matthew Whittaker and thumping home, but the second is one Byrne will want to forget as a fairly tame shot for a point by Danny McCartan dropped and the goalkeeper seemed to just take his eye off it as he fumbled back over his line.
Adam Loughran hit back with an immediate score when it was needed but a couple of half sights of goal, orchestrated by the direct running of Marc Jordan, but after Loughlin and McEnhill traded, the goal did come and this time it was Antrim who got a bit of a break as a McBride shot for a point came down off the post and into the arms of Kavan Keenan who beat Conor McCormack at his near post to narrow the gap to one.
It was soon extended as Loughlin again found his range from outside the arc and then drilled a 30th-minute penalty to the net, which seemed a bit of a soft award as Eunan Walsh appeared to make minimal contact on Ronan Wallace.
They 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.
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 thumped a shot off the crossbar.
It was a let-off and Antrim profitted at the other end with Byrne arrowing a deep free over for two, but a Robbie Forde point made it a two-score game and then Loughlin landed another two of his own to maintain his superb day with the boot as the gap was back out to six.
Loughlin fisted over to push the gap out further as Westmeath now had real daylight and it was game over in the 45th minute when Whittaker did get his goal, taking up possession on the left and injecting some pace to get away from Eunan Walsh before rolling home.
Conor Hand tries a shot 
After Niall Burns pulled one bar, 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 direct running.
But the scores continued to flow with Stephen Smyth getting his name on the board, while Loughlin continued to build his own tally with three, including a two-point free.
Ryan McQuillan (free) and Lorcan Dolan traded as he game entered the final 10 minutes, but this issue had long since been decided.
It was now just Loughlin continuing his superb day with a pair of singles and after Niall Burns grabbed a point and then denied a goal by McCormack, Loughlin kicked a two with the last action of the game to cap a magical performance.
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)
