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Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior G Club Championship Final
O’Tooles 4-14 Round Tower Clondalkin B 3-08
By Nigel McCarthy
Despite a late flurry of scores from their opponents O’Tooles claimed a nine-point win and the 2025 Go Ahead Ireland, Dublin LGFA Junior G Club Championship title on Wednesday evening against Round Tower Clondalkin in a blustery St Margarets GAA club.
Playing with the strong breeze in the first half O’Tooles took full advantage of the conditions to build up a ten-point lead by half-time.
That lead could have been even larger but Round Tower Clondalkin gave themselves a lifeline just before the short whistle when Ella Grace McKenna brilliantly carried the ball from her on half right through the O’Tooles defence to bury the ball to the net.
But a combination of the two goals in the opening half from Katie Fennelly and Jayne Lennon, the clinical point taking of Holly Gifford and the penetrating runs and accurate passing of Player of the Match, Áine McCauley, helped O’Tooles build up their commanding lead at the break with the scoreline 2-10 to 1-03 in their favour.
Ten points adrift at the start of the second half it was a big ask for Round Towers to overcome and that task got even harder seven minutes after the restart when O’Tooles stretched their lead out to sixteen points courtesy of a brace of goals from Jayne Lennon and Holly Gifford.
In fairness to Round Towers they battled on right to the end and in the closing thirteen minutes outscored their opponents 2-04 to 0-03, but unfortunately for the Clondalkin outfit time ran out and O’Tooles claimed a deserved victory.
Playing with a strong breeze at their backs O’Tooles opened the scoring in the second minute with a point from Kaycee Kane after some patient build up play in their opponents half.
Three minutes later a high hanging free from Holly Gifford caused problems in the Round Towers defence, the ball came back off goalkeeper Maia Ezan’s hands and the ball ricocheted off a couple of bodies before it was fortuitously deflected into the goal by Katie Fennelly.
Round Towers Clondalkin opened their account in the eight minute, Laura Casey made a penetrating run through the centre and hand passed to Ella O’Reilly to pop the ball over the bar.
O’Tooles Kaycee Kane hit a 45’ short to Jayne Lennon who offloaded to Holly Gifford to stretch the lead. Kane was involved moments later when she overturned the ball in midfield, hand passed to Leanne Barry who hit a long foot pass to Katie Fennelly on the right and Fennelly centred the ball to Jayne Lennon to strike the ball over the bar.
Three more points, two from Emer McHugh and one from Áine McCauley further stretched the O’Tooles lead out to eight points.
At the midway point of the first half Orlagh Downes went on a powerful run from midfield, hand passed to Neasa Brenn, continued her run and received the ball back and split the post for a much-needed point for Round Towers.
But three Holly Gifford points in a row, two from play and one from a free out ten points between the teams. With four minutes to go to the break that lead was extended to thirteen points, Kaycee Kane turned the ball over just inside the Round Towers half, offloaded to the onrushing Aoibheann Rock who powered past a couple of players and picked out Jayne Lennon in front of goal and the full forward made no mistake and finished to the net.
Round Towers needed something before the break to give them some hope going into the second half and they got it seconds later when Orlaigh Downes picked up the ball in her own half and went on a brilliant run right through the centre of the O’Tooles defence and buried the ball to the net to reduce the deficit to ten points.
Just before the whistle Holly Gifford and Laura Casey exchanged points to leave the score at the half-time, 2-10 to 1-03.
Four minutes into the second half and O’Tooles extended their lead when Jayne Lennon grabbed her second goal of the game after some excellent play down the right from Kaycee Kane and Holly Gifford.
That lead got even bigger minutes later, Shauna Costello broke down the right wing, passed to Katie Fennelly in the corner, Fennelly’s pass to the centre led to a scramble for possession which was won by Leanne Barry who popped a hand pass to Holly Gifford in front of goal and the corner forward hit a fine effort to the net and there were now sixteen points between the teams.
With twenty minutes left Saoirse Maher pulled one back with a fine point after a great run from left half-back Ella Behan. Both number sevens were heavily involved in the next two scores starting both moves with penetrating runs down opposite left flanks which resulted in a point apiece for Holly Gifford and Ella O’Reilly.
With twelve minutes remaining Leanne Barry added another point to the O’Tooles tally, but Round Towers replied seconds later with a point of their own scored by Orlagh Downes.
Two minutes later and Round Towers were awarded a free just inside their opponents half, the free was taken quickly to pick out Downes who powered past a couple of O’Tooles players and blasted the ball to the net.
Minutes later Aoibheann Rock overturned the ball on the forty-five-metre line and drove forward and split the post and that was quickly followed by a point from Niamh Costello as O’Tooles pushed for the finish line.
But it was Round Tower Clondalkin who finished the game on the front foot scoring an unanswered 1-02, a pointed free from Neasa Breen was quickly followed by a Laura Casey goal and a point from Orlagh Downes to reduce the lead to nine points.
But there wasn’t enough time left for the plucky Round Towers players to stage a dramatic comeback and O’Tooles ran out deserving winners in the end.
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