Cavan gained some revenge for last year’s Tailteann Cup final defeat by seeing off Westmeath with a 0-12 to 1-6 victory in Mullingar this afternoon.

The result saw Mickey Graham’s men making the perfect start to their Division 3 campaign, with points from captain Raymond Galligan (2 frees), Dara McVeety and Conor Brady eventually settling them in after the hosts had made the better start at TEG Cusack Park.

Ryan O’Neill and Martin Reilly would raise the white flags that saw Cavan leading by 0-5 to 0-3 at the half and McVeety and Galligan (free) would have the margin at four within five minutes of the restart.

The Breffni men looked home and hosed when they had the difference at six five minutes into the resumption, but Ronan Wallace’s goal brought Westmeath right back into it and made for an interesting closing quarter of an hour.

Lorcan Dolan grabbed back-to-back points to put the heat on the Blues but points at the other end from Oisin Brady, Ciaran Brady and Padraig Faulkner were enough to secure the win for the Ulster men.

In Corrigan Park, Liam Kearns’ Offaly side scored a 2-12 to 0-12 victory against hosts Antrim to get off to a winning in Division 3.

The visitors had a 0-6 to 0-2 lead built up by the time Ruairi McNamee hammered in their first goal on 24 minutes, sending them towards a commanding 1-8 to 0-4 interval lead.

Ryan Murray’s free would eventually help the Glensmen get to back within three before Bernard Allen killed off the game for Offaly with a goal in the second minute of injury-time.

It's well back in the 1980's that we came out of Belfast with a win. Game management was very good today, there was no shortage of workrate against a big physical Antrim side. Massive boost for the lads as we welcome Fermanagh to @Glenisk O'Connor Park next Sunday. pic.twitter.com/DPWRebVefv

— Official Offaly GAA (@Offaly_GAA) January 29, 2023

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