Casements Win Antrim U16 A Championship
2nd October 2025
Report from Saffron Gael
Portglenone recovered from a five point half time deficit to defeat Dunloy and claim the U16 football championship on Thursday evening at Dunsilly. It was a remarkable turnaround by the Casements who produced a dominant midfield display, spearheaded superbly by captain Tom Convery.
Convery would finish the hour top scorer for his side, all of his five points coming from placed ball while his ‘two pointer’ free came in the 28th minute of the second half giving his side a lead and one they wouldn’t relinquish.
Convery had plenty of support with his partnership with Thomas Douthart at midfield pivotal to winning this game. Conor Burns and Conor McKeever were livewires throughout, scoring six points evenly between them but it was their retention of the ball and ability to find a man off the shoulder that proved to be the difference.
Being five clear at half time, the Cuchullains were well set to push on in the second half. Portglenone did have the lion’s share of possession for long periods of the opening 30 but when Dunloy broke on the counter, they were certainly much more clinical than their Portglenone counterparts.
Jack McQuillan had an excellent game with a flawless performance from placed ball while being in the right place to score the only goal of the game in the 14th minute. McQuillan would finish with 1-7 and while Oisin O’Brien and Paidi O’Kane always looked threatening, the organisation from Portglenone throughout the pitch was superb to leave the Cuchullains living off scraps in the second half.
Despite McQuillan pointing for the opening score of the final with a free in the second minute, it was the Casements who settled quicker. They rattled off points from Tom Convery (free), Burns and McKeever to led by two after 10 minutes. Remarkably, that would be the last time they would register a score in the half as a series of Dunloy pressure and wasteful shooting hurt their challenge.
Dunloy looked to settle into the game with Eanna McGuckian coming deeper to get involved and it was his piece of individual brilliance that created the only goal of the game. Coming in from the right, McGuckian straightened up and looked to lob the ball into the top corner. Eoghan Smith scrambled to get a hand on to the ball but he deflected it into the path of McQuillan who made no mistake from close range.
Dunloy took full advantage of Portglenone’s wastefulness with scores coming from O’Brien, a brace of frees from McQuillan while Jamie McMullan pointed in first half injury time with the score of the half, finishing a flowing move before splitting the uprights.
The second half was pure dominance from Portglenone who showed their intentions from the off. They created a goal scoring opportunity with Cillian McDonnell through on goal but his effort was well saved by Damian McMahon in the Dunloy goals.
Dunloy had their own chance at the other end of the pitch only for Euan Molloy’s effort to be deflected clear when the Cuchullains corner forward did well to create the chance despite the unfavourable angle.
Burns pointed for his second of the evening before Patrick Jr O’Boyle left a goal between them just nine minutes into the second half but there’s no doubt the Casement’s corner forward had a major on his mind. The ball fell to O’Boyle after Frank McAleese’s goal bound effort was saved by McMahon, he went for power off the deck but his effort was tipped over the bar superbly by the Dunloy ‘keeper, McMahon.
A free from Tom Convery and points from Burns and Douthart brought parity to the sides by the half way mark of the second half with Portglenone scenting blood. O’Boyle had another chance for goal only for McMahon to deny him once again while Oisin Convery’s rebound was stopped on the line by Dunloy’s Ollie McClements.
McQuillan pointed a free in the 49th minute to give the Cuchullains the lead once more and briefly halt the Portglenone charge and when he split the uprights moments later, it looked like Dunloy had weathered the Portglenone storm.
A brace of points each for McKeever and McQuillan (free) had Dunloy two up with five minutes remaining but Portglenone and Tom Convery in particular, kept momentum their way in the closing stages.
A brace of frees from Convery, the second a huge two pointer gave the Casements the lead while further scores came from Oisin Convery and Douthart before the final whistle.
A superb turnaround and second half display from the Casement’s with Tom Convery having the presence of mind to remember club stalwart and Portglenone legend, Seamus McCarry in his acceptance speech. A poignant moment among the scenes of celebration under the Dunsilly floodlights.
PORTGLENONE: Eoghan Smith; Joe Duffin, Cillian McKenna, Patrick John O’Boyle; Cillian McDonnell, Frank McAleese, Ronan McAleer; Tom Convery, Thomas Douthart; Phelim McCloskey, Conor Burns, Conor McKeever; Patrick Jr O’Boyle, Charlie Convery, Oisin Convery
Subs: Ethan Mahany for C Convery (35); Conan McKeever for PJ O’Boyle (35); Jack Kearney for O Convery (60)
Scorers: T Convery 0-5 (3fs, 1TPF); C Burns 0-3; C McKeever 0-3; T Douthart 0-2; P Jr O’Boyle 0-1; O Convery 0-1
