Casements Clinch First Minor Crown

Antrim Minor ‘A’ Football Championship Final

Portglenone 2-15-1-12 St Pauls

Roger Casements GAC claimed their first ever Minor Football Championship after running out 2-15-1-12 winners over St Pauls in the decider at Dunsilly on Friday evening.

The sides played out a truly breathtaking opening half with the lead toing and froing, but after the break it was Portglenone who dominated and scored 1-4 without reply in the opening quarter of the second half.

Despite St Pauls reducing arrears to within a goal Casement’s finished strong with Odhran Doherty landing his third two-pointed score of the half late on and adding an injury time free as his side claimed their first Minor success and booked their place in the FonaCAB Ulster Minor Tournament in December.

Going into the Dunsilly decider it was St Paul's who were slight favourites in some peoples eyes. The Shaws Road side were in their third straight Minor decider, having won in 2023 and narrowly losing to St Brigid’s 12-months ago.

Portglenone dethroned St Brigid’s on route to the final and with a batch of their U-16 All County winning squad involved, the Casement’s were hoping the could edge their way to their first Minor A success.

It was St Paul's who were off the mark within the first 60-seconds after Michael Vallely switched to Niall Carmichael to swing over the opener.

It took Portglenone until the 7th minute to reply in the form of an Odhran Doherty free but after restoring parity they hit the front soon after.

The resulting kick-out from Shea Kearns was magnificently broken down by Tom Convery and Tom Duffin carried the ball forward before laying it off to Conor McKeever to sweep to the net and give his side a 1-1-0-1 lead.

At the other end Portglenone keeper John McAtamney was forced to touch over Oisin McLaren’s shot after his older brother Sean Og picked him out.

Carmichael was then denied a goal after Oisin Gamble dropped in a high ball, but a free was given for a foul in the aftermath and Ciaran Rogers Duffy converted.

The Shaws Road outfit drew level when Sean Og McLaren claimed a mark from a kick-out and played a fine pass into Carmichael’s path, the corner forward bore down on goal though his shot rose over in the end.

The intensity of the game showed no signs of dropping and the scores continued. Portglenone had initially edged ahead again through Odhran Doherty’s ’45’ following Conal Burke’s sliding block that denied a possible Tom Duffin goal, with Ciaran Rogers Duffy swinging a high shot over in response.

A converted 45’ from Rogers Duffy had his side briefly ahead, before Conor McKeever struck his first point of the contest.

The pendulum continued to swing between the sides with Duffy forcing a turnover and conjuring his fourth score, he then dropped a high ball that was tantalisingly close to being helped to the net by James McDonnell.

Two scores in the space of 60-seconds had Portglenone ahead for the third time, Conor McKeever kicked his second point and then a high Odhran Doherty shot dropped over the posts to make it 1-5-0-7.

On the stroke of half time St Pauls restored parity, James McDonnell claimed a mark and played advantage though he couldn’t take the score himself as Ciaran Rogers Duffy stroked over to ensure that the sides headed in at the interval with nothing separating them.

It was Portglenone who began the second half on the front foot with Odhran Doherty claiming the hop ball and carrying it forward before shooting the games first two-pointed score.

Better was to follow a minute later as Eoghan McErlean picked out Tom Duffin who made room for a low shot that flashed past Kearns to the net to give the Ports a 2-7-0-8 lead.

It was one-way traffic and they worked a second two-pointer on the 40th minute. Conor Burns popped to Duffin and he in turn found Doherty outside the arc and he dropped the ball over confidently.

Conor McKeever notched up his third point of the evening and Doherty then converted a free after Brendan McMorrow hauled down Conor Burns and was black-carded as St Paul's troubles worsened, trailing 2-11-0-8 midway through the second period.

It took until the 47th minute for them to open their second half account, substitute Dylan Rogers Duffy was fouled and brother Ciaran scored a two-pointed free from the resulting placed ball.

The Shaws Road outfit then threw themselves a lifeline when James McDonnell’s quickly taken free released Niall Carmichael and he lifted the ball over McAtamney and into the net.

The belief was surging back and James McDonnell swung over a point to leave a goal separating the sides with 10-minutes remaining (2-11-1-11).

Portglenone needed cool heads and a two-man breach allowed Odhran Doherty to convert a close range free that halted the St Pauls surge, though Ciaran Rogers Duffy replied from the same scenario.

Duffin’s second half strike remained the difference until the dying embers when Portglenone finished strong and pulled clear again.

Conor Burns switched the ball back to the path of Doherty to kick his third two-pointed score of the second period.

Deep into added time a mazy Tom Duffin run was abruptly halted and it allowed Doherty to finish the evening scoring as his side ran out 2-15-1-12 winners at the conclusion to claim their first ever Minor title and in the process book themselves a place in the Ulster Minor Tournament in the coming weeks.

PORTGLENONE: J McAtamney, C McKenna, Christy McDonnell, C Morgan, T Douthart, O McAtamney, Cillian McDonnell, O Doherty (0-12, 0-4f, 0-1 45’, 3×0-2pt), T Duffin (1-0), R McKeever, T Convery, C Burns, E McErlean, F McAleese, C McKeever (1-3).

ST PAULS: S Kearns, J Gault, C McCann, O Stevenson, O McLaren (0-1), C Burke, B McMorrow, C Trainor, M Vallely, O Gamble, S Og McLaren, J Gamble, C Rogers Duffy (0-8, 0-6f, 1×0-2ptf), J McDonnell (0-1), N Carmichael (1-2).

REFEREE: Ray Matthews (O’Donovan Rossa)

Kevin Herron Reports