THE 2023 Antrim SFC got up and running on Friday with Belfast sides St John's and Lámh Dhearg getting off to the ideal start in their respective Group 1 and Group 2 ties.
County forward Patrick McBride (0-6, 0-3 frees) and Conor Adams (0-5) did most of the damage for St John's as they ground out a 0-16 to 1-9 win over Tír na nÓg at Corrigan Park.
St John's were quick out of the traps, kicking the match's first four scores, but their hard work was almost completely undone eight minutes in as Tír na nÓg's Darragh Fagan converted a penalty to leave the bare minimum between the teams.
It was tit-for-tat from there until the break, as the Randalstown side leant quite heavily on Fagan's frees to keep in touch.
They did, however, have another penalty shout waved away on the half-hour mark, as they trailed 1-5 to 0-9 at the interval.
A 50-metre leveller from Fagan was unfortunately as good as it got for the hosts, with St John's replying with a free of their own followed by three more in their second four-score burst of the match.
Tír na nÓg now face champions Cargin, while St John's meet O'Donovan Rossa's in round two in two weeks' time.
Antrim wing-back Marc Jordan top scored with 1-3 as Lámh Dhearg overcame Ahoghill.
Underdogs Ahoghill initially made home advantage count, notching a goal midway through the first half to go in at half-time 1-7 to 0-6 to the good.
They then hit Lámh Dhearg for a blitz of 1-1, leaving a seemingly misfiring away side almost out of sight.
The 2017 champions bit back, however, hitting 1-3 of the next five scores, including a goal from Jordan, to leave just a goal between the sides.
And they kicked three in-a-row to level matters, with another county man Declan Lynch and Ben Rice each notching two from play.
The Ahoghill scoring dried up, and the visitors finished strongly, with 11 different scorers in all, to wrap up a 1-17 to 2-10 victory.
Next up for Ahoghill is a trip to St Enda's, while Lámh Dhearg aim to make it two from two against Portglenone on August 13.
