Westmeath laid down a marker at sundrenched TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar that they will be serious contenders for the Tailteann Cup by defeating Antrim on a 4-24 1-17 scoreline.
Luke Loughlin was sensational throughout, ending up with a whopping 1-17 to his name, his tally including five two-pointers. Westmeath found the net four times, and it could easily have been eight.
The first half was very entertaining, with both sides playing some fine football. An early brace from wing-back Sam McCartan edged the home team ahead by 0-02 to 0-01, but the visitors were 0-05 to 0-02 up by the 12th minute, courtesy of a brace of two-pointers from the boots of Dominic McEnhill and Patrick McBride.
Andy McEntee's men still led by 0-06 to 0-05 when the McCartan brothers, Sam and Danny, both found the net in a two-minute period midway through the half. The first was a clinical finish, while the second was slightly fortuitous.
Loughlin, who was playing with great confidence in attack, pointed when a goal looked certain in the 22nd minute.
Four minutes later, an alert Kavan Keenan was on hand to bury the ball in the Westmeath net after a McBride point attempt had come back off the upright to leave the deficit at the bare minimum at 2-06 to 1-08.
A two-pointer from play by Loughlin was followed by an excellent goal from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark after the ever-dangerous Ronan Wallace had been fouled.
Danny McCartan fluffed a great goal opportunity shortly afterwards when he was one-on-one with Michael Byrne, who smothered his shot, but Dermot McCabe’s charges still led by 3-09 to 1-10 at the break.
The second half started with a two-point exchange between Dominic McEnhill from a free and Eoghan McCabe.
Wallace was unlucky to see his rasping shot come back off the crossbar before goalkeeper Byrne converted a huge two-point free to leave the Glensmen a goal in arrears at 3-11 to 1-14.
However, the home team took over in most sections of the pitch from then on, playing some sparkling football in the process.
Loughlin, in particular, was unmarkable and he scored freely, in addition to setting up colleagues for scores.
In the 44th minute, Matthew Whittaker, who had worked hard without getting on the scoresheet, rectified this with a superb individual goal.
Sub Lorcan Dolan became the latest Westmeath player to hit the crossbar with a rasping shot in the 50th minute after another scything run from skipper Wallace, whose withdrawal with an injury in the 55th minute was a source of worry to otherwise delighted home fans, who had endured a series of frustrating hard luck stories throughout the league.
Antrim were a beaten docket a long time before the final whistle, but they did have one great goal opportunity when Niall Burns was denied by a full-length save by Conor McCormack in the 68th minute.
The game fittingly ended with a Loughlin two-pointer ahead of the hooter.
Westmeath: Conor McCormack; David Giles, Sam Smyth, Jamie Gonoud; Joe Moran, Ronan Wallace, Sam McCartan (1-02); Kevin O’Sullivan, Nigel Harte; Matthew Whittaker (1-00), Danny McCartan (1-00), Brían Cooney; Luke Loughlin (1-17, 3 2pt, 2 2ptf), Stephen Smith (0-01), Eoghan McCabe (0-02, 2pt). Subs: Robbie Forde (0-01) for Cooney (inj., 10), Lorcan Dolan (0-01) for D McCartan (40), Kieran Martin for Smith (52), Tadhg Baker for Wallace (inj., 55), Danny Scahill for S McCartan (64).
Antrim: Michael Byrne (0-02, 2ptf); Eoghan McCabe, Eunan Walsh (0-01), Kavan Keenan (1-00); James McAuley, Dermot McAleese, Patrick Finnegan; Conor Hand, Marc Jordan (0-02); Ronan Boyle, Adam Loughran (0-01), Patrick McBride (0-02, 2pt); Ryan McQuillan (0-01, f), Ryan Murray, Dominic McEnhill (0-06, 1 2pt, 1 2ptf). Subs: Niall Burns (0-02) for Loughran (h-t), Fionn Nagle for Murray (h-t), Conor Stewart for Hand (48), Calum Higgins for McQuillan (60), John Morgan for McAuley (60).
Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway).
