ANTRIM footballers return to action this weekend when they face-off against bottom side Waterford on Sunday afternoon where they will be bidding to make it a third successive victory in the National Football League down at Dungarvan.

After an awful start to their campaign, the sun is finally shining on the county after the Saffrons enjoyed back-to-back wins in Division Four after a successful trip to Leitrim was followed with a massive home victory over high-flying Wicklow a fortnight ago.

After that game Antrim captain Eoghan McCabe said he believes that momentum is slowly beginning to grow in the camp after two wins in a row.

"We're starting to build momentum, which is great of course. After the first three games that was the frustrating thing you know, we'd train all week and be doing a lot of the right stuff there and the results just were not going our way," he reflected.

"I think it looked a lot worse than what it was from the outside looking in but within the group we knew things would get going as the training and tempo there was really top notch and in all honesty we probably just needed a bit of time to click with lads starting to put it all together."

McCabe believes that the victory over Wicklow was proof that they could back up their performance and that it was not a "one-off".

"We put a performance in against Leitrim last week and afterwards we were there thinking 'right that is brilliant we know where we went well and didn't go so well' that was the evidence to prove to ourselves that it was beginning to work."

He added: "This week (against Wicklow) was about backing that up, not letting it be a one-off performance and we got the two wins together. I can't remember the last time we have won two games in a row. We stuck to the process and again it was not perfect but we got the result and now that's two on the bounce and a win's a win, that's what matters so we will take that."

Antrim currently sit sixth in the league table, but just trail the league leaders Carlow by four points. Despite being outlined as favourites for promotion during pre-season, the season has been far from what was expected and Eoghan reflected on the results so far in the league – labelling the Longford defeat as rock bottom for the squad.

"The first game against Carlow we were a bit unlucky. If you look at that whole game there is probably four minutes where we lapsed, you know we didn't press them and they strike a couple of early two-pointers and we switch off leading to two goals in the space of a minute, outside of that we were really competitive and played some good stuff bar the shooting on the day.

"This season has been about getting things to click and sticking together biding our time with the process. Tipperary was another sore one, obviously leading for the most part and then losing the head and eventually losing. And of course, that Longford result was a really bad day at the office, but I suppose from that point we knew we could only get better from there.

"I think it was a bit of a reality check and some boys knew they needed to really knuckle down. It was either blow it up, throw the toys out of the pram or keep the heads down and hope we can turn it around to step up and go after it and that is the way we've gone."

After beating second-placed Wicklow in their previous outing, Antrim still have two games on schedule and even if they managed some key victories they would be relying on some heavy lifting elsewhere in a division which separates first and seventh by just the four points.

Second place is enough to secure promotion back to Division Three, but after their defeat to Longford a few weeks back it makes it less than probable for that eventuality.

The Antrim stalwart added: "We are focused on stringing the performances together mainly and finally get some credit for the work we have been doing because honestly the work all the lads have put in has been one that should see us with a few more points on the board. 

"But the management team have laid out their process now. It's all about us keeping the work going for these final few games and sticking to the plan and if we can keep the momentum going we'll see where that leaves us."

A long trip to the South-East awaits Mark Doran's men this Saturday where they face bottom side Waterford in the penultimate fixture of this Division Four football campaign.

Hopes of a victory would keep their slender promotion hopes alive, but momentum is key at this stage of the season and it is still all to play for.

If you would like to purchase tickets for Antrim's clash with Waterford this weekend, throw-in is set for 1pm at Cappoquin Logistics Fraher Field check out Ticketmaster.com/gaa.