Cruel accusations, not least that the exiles had thrown in the towel, flowed from the terraces as London failed to raise a gallop against a rejuvenated Antrim in the replay of the Ulster senior hurling championship semi-final at Casement Park.

Antrim manager Sean McGuinness yelled his team out of their dressing-room before the match, having already given them a good old-fashioned telling-off after last week's lucky escape.

When it was all over and the Saffrons had chalked up a record tally for an Ulster semi-final of 6-28, McGuinness simply smiled and put his finger to his temple indicating that his men had at last got the mind-set right.

Surprisingly, London manager Tommy Harroll didn't mention a word about the late decision that cost them victory last week, and he took yesterday's defeat in a most sporting way. "The speed and skills of the Antrim team were too much for us today. They were by far the better team," he said.

Gone was the indifferent form of Antrim from a week earlier. And gone, too, was the drive and flair shown by the London.

Timmy Maloney's inspiring leadership in attack and the midfield prowess of Damien Browne and Pat Jordon that all but saw off the Antrim challenge in the drawn game disappeared.

Instead, the tight marking Antrim defence, where full back Eoin Colgan and right corner Ronan Donnelly were superb, provided the highlights.

The procession of scores from Antrim's John Carson, Alistair Elliot Gregory O'Kane and Liam Richmond left the visitors with a hopeless mission.

The pattern could hardly have been anticipated by either side, especially after London's Timmy Maloney notched two points within three minutes without reply.

Antrim's Paul McKillen and Mal Molloy then got their opponents' measure and it was plain sailing from the 14th minute when Carson batted a Liam Richmond lob to the net.

The flood gates opened and Antrim were 2-8 to 0-3 to the good by the 23rd minute.

A bad decision by referee Pat Delaney of Laois - he awarded a penalty when London corner forward Eoin Quaine slipped on the wet turf - resulted in Maloney driving to the net. But the goal failed to inspire the deflated exiles.

Antrim sustained the pressure on the London defence and Carson had another fine goal for a 311 to 1-3 lead at the interval.

One-way traffic does not adequately describe the trend in the second half, as the scores simply flowed off the Antrim sticks. The Saffrons looked incapable of doing anything wrong.