First-half rampage swings it for Antrim

ANTRIM advanced through their All-Ireland SHC qualifier with Westmeath at Casement Park on Saturday night but the game was not as comfortable as the final score line would suggest.

It took impressive opening and ending spells from the hosts to claim victory against a Leinster side that looked sharp in patches but were always playing catch up after a poor opening quarter.

At that stage Antrim had raced into a 1-10 to 1-1 lead against the wind with Conor McCann striking the winner’s goal in the eighth minute and Paul Greville netting for Westmeath with an angled shot on 11 minutes.