ANTRIM chalked up a deserved win over Cavan in a Dr McKenna Cup battle that never really got out of third gear, though the Saffrons will be happy to get their first points on the board.
Both teams tried to make the contest interesting, but play never really rose above the mediocre. However, the scores were always close, with the teams level three times in the first half and at the break.
Defences were mostly on top, with the bulk of the scores coming from placed balls. In the opening half, the visitors looked the more lively side but failed to make use of their possession and didn’t repeat their accuracy of last Sunday’s win over Monaghan.
At midfield, Joe Quinn held sway for the home side and that helped to give the Antrim attack a fair supply of the ball in the second half.
Despite Cavan’s outfield dominance, the sides went in level at half-time, 0-5 to 0-5, as the Breffni boys shot five wides to Antrim’s two.
It was Jason Reilly who opened the scoring in the first minute and Cavan were 0-3 to 0-1 ahead after 10 minutes, but points from Michael McCann and Niall Doyle (free) had the game all square on 15 minutes.
Ryan McCormack sent over his second free-kick and Eddie O’Reilly cut nicely inside to put Cavan in control again, but they failed to raise a flag for the closing 16 minutes of the first half while points from Niall Doyle (free) and a long range effort from Michael Magill levelled the argument for the third time.
Antrim turned on the power play on the restart and went 0-8 to 0-5 ahead with two pointed frees by McCann and a point from play by substitute Conor Murray.
After a barren 29 minutes, Martin Reilly popped a Cavan free over the bar to close the gap to two points but McCann struck two frees to keep the scent of victory in Antrim’s nostrils.
Reilly kept the visitors in the game with two more points from placed balls to leave just two points in the match.
The visitors now sensed victory, and when half-back John McCutcheon sent over another point the minimum separated the sides at 0-10 to 0-9. The chance for an equaliser fell to Martin Reilly two minutes from time, but his effort from a placed ball came off the post and seconds later he sent another effort from play wide.
The teams will meet again at Casement Park in the Ulster Championship next May, and while this result gives Antrim a boost, neither team will put much stock into last night’s scoreline when the real action hots up.

MATCH STATS
Antrim: S McGreevy; T Scullion, P Doherty, A McLean; L Carland, E O’Neill, S Kelly; B Hasson, J Quinn; T O’Neill, J McGourty, S McVeigh; M McCann (0-5, four frees), M Magill (0-1), N Doyle (0-3, all frees). Subs: C Murray (0-1) for Doyle, inj (40); G Crossey for McVeigh (53); M Cougan for Hasson (59).
Cavan: James Reilly; D Rooney, John Clarke, K Fannin; J McCutcheon (0-2), A Forde, A Clarke; D Gaffney, M McKeever; James Clarke, R Donohue, M Reilly (0-3, all frees); R McCormack (0-2, both frees), E Reilly (0-1), Jason Reilly (0-1). Subs: A Fitzpatrick for McCormack (52); B Watters for A Clarke (53).
Ref: E O’Hare (Down)

Football
All-Ireland titles: Two

Senior: None

Under 21: One - 1969

1969: R. McIlroy, D. Burns, S. Killough, M. McGranaghan, J. Mullan, L. Millar, M. Colbert, L. Boyle, T. Dunlop, A. Hamill, G. McCann, G. Mellis, A. McCallin, G. Dillon, D. McGrogan. Sub: G. Pollock



Minor: None



Junior: None



All-Ireland ‘B’: One - 1999

1999: S. McGreevy, E. McLarnon, M. Mulholland, C. Anderson, G. Adams, A. Finnegan, P. McCann, J. Quinn, S. McQuillan, K. Brady, C. Coleman, E. McKee, J. McManus, D. Niblock, K. Madden. Subs: E. McCann, E. McKenna



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NFL titles: None


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Ulster titles: 29

Senior: Ten - 1900, ‘01, ‘08, ‘09, ‘10, ‘11, ‘12, ‘13, ‘46, ‘51

Under 21: Four - 1969, ‘74, ‘75, ‘89

Minor: Eight - 1932, ‘33, ‘36, ‘41, ‘50, ‘55, ‘64, ‘82

Junior: Seven - 1923, ‘37, ‘42, ‘60, ‘63, ‘70, ‘72

All Stars: One -
1971: A. McCallin


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Hurling

All-Ireland titles: Five

Senior: None

Under 21: None

Minor: None

Intermediate: One - 1970

1970: J Coyles; C Elliot, k Donnelly, E Hamill; N Wheeler, T Connolly, A McCamphill; S Burns, S Collins; S Richmond, E Donnelly, A Hamill; B McGarry, P McShane, A McCallin. Subs - A Connolly for T Connolly, JP McFadden for A Connolly.

Junior: One - 2002

2002: A. McIlhatton; K. McCann, D. Rooney, J. Friel; C. Turley, P. Nugent, S. McGuinness; S. O'Kane, D. McToal; G. Turley, J. Caulfield, G. McIlhatton; N. McCann, T. Maguire, D. McCann. Subs; S. Burke for McToal; R. Edrahin for Friel; L. Burke for O'Kane.


All-Ireland B: Three - 1978, '81, '82


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NHL titles: One - 2003 (Division 2)

2003: Damien Quinn, M Kettle, K Kelly, J Campbell, M McCambridge, K McKeegan, C Herron, C Cunning, J Connolly, A Mort, C McGuckian, L Richmond, P Richmond, G O'Kane, B McFall. Subs: P Close for Mort, S Delargy for L Richmond, M Herron for McKeegan, Darren Quinn for O'Kane


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Ulster titles: 135

Senior: 46 - 1900, ‘01, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘07, ‘09, ‘10, ‘11, ‘13, ‘16, ‘24, ‘25, ‘26, ‘27, ‘28, ‘29, ‘30, ‘31, ‘33, ‘34, ‘35, ‘36, ‘37, ‘38, ‘39, ‘40, ‘43, ‘44, ‘45, ‘46, ‘47, ‘48, ‘49, ‘89, ‘90, ‘91, ‘93, ‘94, ‘96, ‘98, ‘99, 2002, '03, '04, '05, '06

Under 21: 24 - 1964, ‘65, ‘66, ‘67, ‘70, ‘72, ‘73, ‘74, ‘76, ‘78, ‘79, ‘80, ‘81, ‘82, ‘88, ‘89, ‘91, ‘92, ‘94, ‘95, ‘96, ‘98, ‘99, '00, 2002, '06

Minor: 48 - 1931, ‘33, ‘35-41, ‘45-56, ‘58-66, ‘69, ‘70, ‘86, ‘87, ‘88, ‘92, ‘93, ‘95-99, '00, '01, 2002, '03, '04, '05, '06

Junior: 14 - 1950-55, ‘57, ‘58, ‘59, ‘61, ‘63, ‘66, ‘68, ‘69

All Stars: 5 -
1988: C. Barr
1989: D.Donnelly, O. McFetridge
1991: T. McNaughten
1993: P. McKillen