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Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior E Club Championship Final
Cuala B 4-12 Portobello 1-03
By Nigel McCarthy
Cuala were crowned the 2025 Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior E champions after a dominant display against Portobello in Wednesday evening's final played in St Margarets GAA club.
The Dalkey outfit were resolute in defence throughout the contest allowing their opponents very little in terms of scoring opportunities.
This allowed them to build up a head of steam in attack and by the break they held an eight point advantage, which included an eye catching goal from Molly Basquille midway through the opening half.
Portobello were competitive throughout the final, but time and time again their attacking forays were halted by Cuala’s defensive tenacity and sharpness and ability to read and intercept passes.
At the other end the Portobello defence had their hands full with Player of the Match Jennifer Sheeran who was a constant out-ball for Cuala and had her fingerprints all over the majority of her sides scores.
By halftime Cuala led by eight points with the score 1-05 to no score and Portobello had it all to do to get back into the contest.
They did grab the opening point of the second half to finally get on the scoreboard, but two minutes later Cuala all but guaranteed the win with their second goal of the game from Caoimhe Brady.
Portobello though never let their heads drop and battled right to the end, that fighting spirit was rewarded with nine minutes to go when Shauna Garvin finished to the net.
But Cuala finished the game strongly and added on two late goals from Orna Hession and Molly Basquille with her second of the final to run out comfortable and deserving winners.
Portobello won the throw-in at the start to launch the first attack of the game and were unlucky not to secure the opening goal of the game, they worked the ball to Doireann Tarrant who’s shot at goal was saved by Cuala keeper Cliodhna Gillen, Sorcha McCool recovered the rebound, but Gillen was back on her feet to turn McCool’s shot around the post for a 45’ which came to nothing.
In the 4th minute Cuala’s Molly Basquille opened her sides account with a fine point. That lead was doubled minutes later when centre-back Rena Mulally finished off a sweeping move involving Basquille, Jennifer Sheeran and Caoimhe Brady with an excellent point.
Jennifer Sheeran then went on an incisive run down the right wing, cut inside and hit a powerful shot at goal, Portobello keeper Laura Bowen made an excellent save, but Sheeran gathered the rebound and fisted the ball over the bar.
Cuala penned their opponents in their own half recycling the ball patiently probing for an opening, Rena Mulally received the ball in a pocket of space, broke free and slotted over a clinical point to stretch the lead to four.
Just past the halfway mark of the first period Cuala put themselves firmly in control, Emma Mulholland picked out Molly Basquille with an exquisite pass and she blasted the ball to the top left hand corner of the net.
Five minutes before the break the ever impressive Jennifer Sheeran added another point to leave the score at the interval 1-05 to no score.
Portobello needed to get off to a good start in the second half and in the opening minute finally registered their first score of the game from a Shauna Garvin free kick.
But just two minutes later any ideas of a comeback were quickly extinguished, a side-line ball on the right just past the midfield area found Basquille, she offloaded to Jennifer Sheeran who went on a run down the right wing and she squared the ball inside to Caoimhe Brady who powered the ball to the net.
A second Shauna Garvin pointed free reduced the deficit, Molly Basquille and Marina Cunningham exchanged points. But two points from Orna Hession and one from substitute Aimee Barnes stretched the Cuala lead further.
The Portobello fighting spirit though was rewarded with ten minutes to go in the game, the ball was turned over in midfield by Marina Cunningham who went on an incisive run through the Cuala defence and picked out an unmarked Shauna Garvin in front of goal and the corner forward made no mistake and finished superbly to the net.
Unfortunately that was to be Portobello’s last score of the game, Aimee Barnes, Mia Kelly and substitute Becky Clarke tagged on a point each for Cuala as they finished the final minutes of the game on the front foot.
And it was left to the Dalkey outfit to put the cherry on this championship final cake with two well worked goals scored by Orna Hession and Molly Basquille to run out deserving winners.
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