Antrim, inspired by Orlaith Prenter kicking 1-7, produced a huge upset overcoming Westmeath by four points, in their first ever contest at the Intermediate grade.

What a season the Saffrons have had thus far, Division 4 League Champions, Ulster Intermediate Champions, does an All Ireland look like heading up North with them this summer, we will have to wait and see.

They were ahead and behind in this dramatic tie in St Loman’s, Maria O’Neill’s late goal wrapping up the result, as Anna Jones netted her second goal in added time that left a point between them in the dying moments.

Westmeath showed their attacking intent with four goals in the tie, they were pegged back at the break to a level game, but Rachel Dillon and Jones did raise the green flag in the second half, but Antrim out scored them 1-8 to 2-1 in the second half.

Their first game as an Intermediate side and Prenter had them ahead after 13 seconds, she would then double that with her second point inside the opening minute, Laura Dahunsi and Cathy Carey both added points for a four point margin for the Safs after six minutes.

Westmeath worked their way back into the contest, Johanna Quin had them in the board, before Bronagh Devlin was shown a yellow card, with the extra player advantage, Westmeath made it a one point game as Aoife Connolly and Vicky Carr pointed, before the end of the opening quarter.

Prenter made it 0-5 to 0-3, giving her side a two point margin, but that was quickly erased as Jones raced in to shoot low past Anna McCann for the games opening goal, Westmeath a point ahead 1-3 to 0-5. It was again Prenter who kicked the next Antrim score, Aoife Connolly responded well.

A change in fortune came for the Saffrons, Grainne McLaughlin levelling matters once again, before Prenter fired an effort at goal, it looked an easy ball for Lauren mcCormack in the Westmeath goal to gather, but it missed her hands and landed in the net, a gift for Prenter and the Ulster side again were ahead, 1-7 to 1-4.

But Westmeath were straight back into the tie, Ciara Blundell kicked over to make it a two point game, before Connolly shot their second goal after 25 minutes to regain the lead. Antrim heads failed to drop as they went in search of coming right back, Orla Corr levelling just before the end of normal time.

Connolly looked to have given the home side the lead with a score in the first minute of injury time, but McLaughlin curled over a free in the third minute of the allotted period of stoppage time to see the sides deadlocked 2-6 to 1-9 at the interval.

Two minutes into the second half and Jones almost netted her brace, but her goalbound effort dragged to the left and wide of the Antrim goal, the first score of the second half would be a Westmeath goal however.

Rachel Dillon raced in after a quick pass from Blundell, she was brought to ground by a host of Antrim bodies, but the ball went into the net, a freak goal but one that gave Westmeath a three point lead to start the second half.

Prenter packed the shooting boots as she kicked two points either side of Dahunsi adding her second score to tie the contest once again. Antrim finished the game strong, Grainne McLaughlin was a late change but added two more points, her third and fourth of the tie, either side of Dillon pointing a score, but Antrim were ahead 3-7 to 1-14 with five minutes left.

A one point lead quickly turned to three as Dahunsi and McLaughlin both scored before stoppage time, Prenter kicked a score to make it four three minutes into stoppage time, but Jones bagged a second goal and that looked a lifeline.

Antrim needed to hold possession, they almost lost it from their own kickout, but managed to recycle it, going up the other end Maria O’Neill found the net to score the crucial score that secured Antrim their points.