Antrim recorded their second win in the Leinster Championship round robin with a three point victory over Westmeath, in what was a excellent game, at the Louth GAA Centre of Excellence at Darver on Saturday.

The young Saffrons couldn’t have got off to a worse start when Westmeath goaled for the first score of the game. However the they recovered well with some fine points and a goal from the excellent Lorcan Philips, to go in 3 points to the good at halftime, on a scoreline of 1-9 ro 2-3.

Antrim got the first point of the second from Orrin O’Connor to go four clear. However in a repeat of the first half Westmeath goaled to put the pressure back on Antrim. The game was end to end for the next 15 mins with both teams picking of some great points, with Jack McCloskey, Cormac McKeown, Ben McGarry and Joseph McLaughlin all to the fore for Antrim.

With seven minutes to go Antrim were 2 down and under pressure but they reacted well to turn the momentum in their favour and finish with 5 unanswered points to record a 1-21 to 3-12 victory.

Overall this was an excellent team performance from Antrim with Ciaran McAllister and Malachi McGibbon excellent in defence, Joseph McLaughlin and Cormac McKeown picking off some great scores in the half forward line, but it was Antrim’s full forward line of Orrin O’Connor, Lorcan Philips and Jack McCloskey that caused Westmeath all sorts of problems.

Antrim now top their group and next up is Derry in Owenbeg on Saturday 26th.