Paddy Lynch enjoyed a dream debut as he kicked eight points that helped Cavan score an emphatic 13-point win over Antrim in today's Ulster SFC quarter-final.

The 22-year-old was in sparkling form for Mickey Graham's side, who never trailed in this game, and while their lead at half-time was just one (0-07 to 0-06) despite being the better side, they used wind advantage after the break to put clear daylight between the teams.

Aside from a decent spell just before the half, Antrim were second best, but then much of that was down to an excellent Cavan side that just shut down the Saffrons.

With nine different scorers, they just had a much better spread of performers on the day, and Antrim's cause wasn't helped with Michael McCann's dismissal on a second yellow card midway through the second period.

Gerard Smith had kicked the visitors into a fifth-minute lead after two early chances came and went. Antrim goalkeeper Mick Byrne wasn't tested by James Smith, whose effort was an easy gather, but he then had to make a point-blank save from Cormac O'Reilly.

James Smith did finally add to the Cavan tally and a Gearoid McKiernan free had them three up on 19 minutes as Antrim started to find a way to create opportunities, but they too were wasteful with their efforts.

The home side - who won a battle to even host the game at Corrigan Park - finally got on the board in the 24th minute as Ryan Murray pointed brilliantly from out on the left.

Cavan responded and then again when Dermott McAleese pointed, but Antrim were now looking better and out-scored the visitors by four to two in the closing stages of the half, Murray launching over another beauty from the left to pull the Saffrons to within one at the break.

When Conor Murray tied the game from a free two minutes after the restart, for a moment we thought we were in for a real battle in the second half, but Cavan quickly put those notions to rest with Gerard Smith and Lynch landing quickfire braces.

While Kevin Small pulled one back, things would quickly unravel for the hosts, with Cavan rattling off three in a row including a trademark long free from goalkeeper Raymond Galligan, while Antrim were down to 14 with McCann picking up a second yellow on 52 minutes.

Six points was the margin on 59 minutes when any faint hopes Antrim still harboured were well and truly killed off as from a sideline, Martin Reilly found Lynch who in turn turned provider to put Gearoid McKiernan in to blash home.

Ryan Murray did respond with his third point of the afternoon for Antrim, but Cavan kept the foot on the pedal in the closing stages - Lynch kicked his eighth of the afternoon while Martin Reilly got in on the act with two of his own and defenders Paddy Faulkner and Jason McLoughlin also chipped in to seal a dominant Cavan performance and place in the semi-final against Donegal or Armagh.

"We're delighted to get out of here with a result," Cavan boss Mickey Graham told RTÉ Sport afterwards.

"We created lots of opportunities in the first half we just weren't clinical, and left Antrim in the game.

"We knew we had a lot of work to do in the second half. In fairness they corrected a lot of it and took their opportunities. You couldn't fault their effort and application.

"Our form in Division 4 wasn't up to the standards we expect so it was understandable people would have doubts coming in today.

"We're coming up against two superpowers in either Armagh or Donegal the next day and that will be a totally different game."

ANTRIM: Mick Byrne; Eoghan McCabe, Peter Healy, Dermott McAleese (0-01); Paddy McAleer (0-01), James Laverty, Marc Jordan; Kevin Small (0-01), Michael McCann (0-01); Ryan Murray (0-03), Conor Stewart (0-01), Ruairi McCann; Odhran Eastwood, Conor Murray (0-01f), Tomas McCann

Subs: Jamie Gribbon (0-01) for R McCann (13), Paddy McBride for O Eastwood (HT), Declan Lynch for T McCann (HT), Barry McCormick for J Laverty (64), Patrick McCormick for E McCabe (64)

CAVAN: Raymond Galligan (0-01 free); Jason McLoughlin (0-01), Padraig Faulkner (0-01), Killian Brady; Luke Fortune, Killian Clarke, Conor Brady; Thomas Galligan, James Smith (0-01); Gerard Smith (0-03), Gearoid McKiernan (1-02, 1f), Conor Moynagh; Cormac O'Reilly (0-01), Paddy Lynch (0-08, 5f, 1 mark), Cian Madden

Subs: Chris Conroy for K Brady (55), Martin Reilly (0-02) for Cormac O'Reilly (57), Caoimhin O'Reilly for C Madden (65), Ciaran Brady for Conor Brady (67), Ryan O'Neill for P Lynch (70)

REFEREE: Jerome Henry (Mayo)