Westmeath minor footballers return to championship action

The Westmeath minor football team return to championship action on Saturday when they play Monaghan in the All-Ireland minor football championship Tier 2 preliminary quarter final in Corduff on Saturday, at 1pm.

Mick Dillon's team will be hoping to continue the feel-good factor currently enveloping the county as they aim to bounce back from a heavy defeat to Kildare in the Leinster minor football championship quarter-final at the start of the month.

Westmeath had a promising start to their round robin provincial campaign defeating Longford and Dublin before losing out to Offaly in their closing group fixture.

The Lake County then defeated Carlow in a provincial preliminary quarter-final before losing out to the Lilywhites in TEG Cusack Park Mullingar.

For their part, Monaghan also reached the quarter-final stage of the Ulster minor football championship where they were defeated by Donegal by a one point margin.

Introduced in 2024, the All-Ireland minor football championship Tier 2 competition comprises teams that have been eliminated from the early provincial stages of their respective provincial championships.

The Tier 2 championship is played on a knockout basis with the All-Ireland winners receiving the Paul McGirr Cup.