THE first ever match for the Casement’s club of Portglenone came against a team from Toome – can they make history again by at last ending their wait for the Antrim SFC crown against the modern representatives of that town?
Cargin have no problem being the ‘party poopers’; they did that just two years ago in the decider against Aghagallon, who – like Portglenone – have never been county senior football champions.
Before that, in 2018 and 2020, they twice extended the long wait of their near neighbours Creggan with final defeats, although the Kickham’s did end their 67-year drought in 2021.
They got to that final by edging out Cargin in the semi-finals, the only loss in the Antrim championship for the Erin’s Own men over the past six seasons.
Indeed, going slightly further back, Cargin have won seven of the last nine finals, and were in the previous two.
That’s the scale of the challenge facing Portglenone as they seek a first ever triumph in their fourth final, after losses in 2005, 2007, and 2009 against previous Antrim kingpins St Gall’s.
Even being in the decider is an achievement for Casement’s, after their awful hoodoo of losing at the semi-final stage in the previous five seasons.
If they need inspiration towards turning fortunes around, though, they can look at their opponents.
There used to be talk of a curse on Cargin, relating to the 21-year gap between their first and second Antrim senior crowns, 1974 to 1995. During that time they lost five finals, in 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, and 1994.
They’ve actually lost more since then, going down six times, in the deciders of 1996, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2013, and 2014. Yet only St Gall’s have been able to beat Cargin in an Antrim final since 1998, when St John’s did so, to collect their record-extending 20th title.
St Gall’s are just one behind their west Belfast rivals on the roll of honour, but it’s been a decade since they added to their tally – a decade which has almost totally belonged to Cargin.
It wouldn’t take much of a pronunciation tweak to call the final venue, the home of St John’s, Corrigan Park ‘Cargin Park’, such has been the dominance of the Toome men there.
Although the two teams haven’t met in knockout football in recent years the rival managers will know each other from their day jobs as teachers, Portglenone’s John McKeever at Holy Trinity in Cookstown, Cargin’s Ronan Devlin at St Mary’s, Magherafelt. The two schools met in the 2022 MacRory Cup Final, with Devlin assisting Kevin Brady to victory over McKeever’s lads.
Cargin are vastly experienced with their starting side in the semi-final still including John McNabb, Kevin O’Boyle, Justin Crozier, James Laverty, plus Paul, Tomas, and Mick McCann. There are men not just in their 30s, but in their late 30s – yet all going strong. Pat Shivers is still only 23, but in his sixth senior season with four winner’s medals to his name.
One hope for Portglenone is that Cargin will have half an eye on the Ulster series. Even the Toome men acknowledge that last year’s loss to eventual All-Ireland champions Glen of Maghera is still on their minds. A controversial red card for Tomas McCann was subsequently rescinded, but too late to prevent a four-point loss.
Cargin became Antrim’s first winners in Ulster for a decade when they defeated Donegal’s Naomh Conaill on penalties in 2022, before pushing Glen hard but losing.
The flipside of that ‘Ulster-focused’ scenario is the burning desire in this Toome team to once again show what they’re made of on the provincial scene. They’ve more than earned everyone’s respect in Antrim, but still feel they haven’t been given the credit they merit outside their own county.
Besides, Cargin’s intensity is such that you can’t envisage them taking their eye off a single ball on Sunday, never mind their thoughts turning to the Ulster series before they’re actually in it.
Portglenone’s mindset could be crucial. No doubt there’s a sense of relief after at last winning a semi-final following those five consecutive exits at the penultimate stage, most of those of a traumatic nature.
Any danger that they might mentally relax, however, will surely be prevented by their desire to get their hands on the Padraig McNamee Cup for the first time ever.
Yes, they’ve made a significant psychological breakthrough, but there’s still a bigger fence to clear.
Yet the question remains whether or not Casement’s will freeze or flourish on this final stage. The experience of central players such as Niall McKeever, Dermot McAleese, and Niall Delargy could be crucial - so too the skill of former Derry forward Enda Lynn in attack.
They’ll certainly aim to replicate the form they showed in their semi-final, when they put all the pain of the recent past behind them by cruising past Lamh Dhearg, winning by 11 points.
However, having struggled fast a young and under-strength St John’s side in the quarter-final, by the minimum margin, they will be well aware of the temporary nature of form. On the day is all that counts.
Cargin’s permanent class is indisputable, even if they did have to fight much harder to win their semi-final, against League champions St Brigid’s, for the second year in a row. Once again the contest was strongly influenced by the weather, this time wind rather than rain, but Cargin refused to be blown off course.
Before that they had blown all opponents away, winning their three group games against Rossa, St John’s, and Randalstown by an average of almost 13 points, scoring 10 goals in the process.
Those results are clearly indicative of the attacking threat which Cargin carry, but – as shown by St Brigid’s – attempting a containment job may not be advisable for Portglenone.
Cargin have the talent and know-how to beat you up (on the scoreboard) or grind you down.
Surely Portglenone have to go for it, believing that their upturn in semi-final fortune can continue into an ending of Cargin’s successful streak in finals.
Victory would bring a 13th senior success for Cargin. Maybe luck will be on Portglenone’s side at last…
PATHS TO THE FINAL:
CARGIN
Group stage round one: Cargin 5-10 Rossa 0-12
Group stage round two: St John’s 0-8 Cargin 2-13
Group stage round three (neutral venue): Cargin 3-12 Randalstown 1-4
Quarter-final: Cargin 2-20 Ahoghhill 0-5
Semi-final: Cargin 1-7 St Brigid’s 0-7
CASEMENT’S
Group stage round one: Casement’s 1-17 Ahoghill 0-3
Group stage round two: Moneyglass 2-10 Casement’s 1-17
Group stage round three (neutral venue): Casement’s 1-10 Glenravel 2-7
Quarter-final: Casement’s 2-10 St John’s 1-12
Semi-final: Casement’s 1-17 Lamh Dhearg 0-9
