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Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior J Club Championship Final
Naomh Fionnbarra 7-05 Beann Eadair B. 3-05
Report by Nigel McCarthy
Naomh Fionnbarra were crowned 2025 Go Ahead Ireland, Dublin LGFA Junior J champions on Wednesday evening in Castleknock GAA club after a pulsating final against Beann Eadair B, with the sides scoring ten goals between them.
Despite Naomh Fionnbarra enjoying more of the possession in the first half, there was just a goal between the sides at the break with the scoreline reading 3-03 to 2-03 in the Cabra outfits favour.
The Naomh Fionnbarra first half goals were scored by Siobhan Byrne with two and the other coming from Holly O’Brien. The Beann Eadair goal scorers in the first half were Kate Hanratty and first half substitute Mollie White.
The introduction of Siobhan Kehoe five minutes before the break paid big dividends in the second half for Naomh Fionnbarra with her work rate, powerful ball carrying ability, clever passing and scoring threat causing the Beann Eadair defence no end of problems.
The dominance, work-rate and ball progression from player of the match Carla Wolohan Maguire was a major catalyst, particularly in the second half, for the Cabra side to get a stranglehold of the game and drive them to victory.
Maguire won and turned over a large amount of ball between the oppositions half back line, midfield and her own defence, constantly driving her side forward with penetrating runs and intelligent offloads.
Naomh Fionnbarra added four further goals after the break from Siobhan Kehoe, two more from Siobhan Byrne to take her tally to four in the final and one from Yasmin MaAuley.
Beann Eadair grabbed a goal of their own in the second half from substitute Lilly Goold. There was some late drama at the end of the game when the side from Howth were awarded two successive penalties for foot blocks, but goalkeeper Ava O’Connor saved both and Naomh Fionnbarra ran out deserving winners.
The first point of the contest arrived just two minutes into the game with a converted free from Holly O’Brien to give Naomh Fionnbarra the lead.
Beann Eadair’s response was swift, they moved the ball at pace down the other end of the pitch and Kate Hanratty finished the move to the net. A point from Jools Aungier seconds later extended the lead out to three points.
After a couple of forays from both sides came to nothing, a well worked move from Naomh Fionnbarra resulted in a scramble for possession in the Beann Eadair square. Siobhan Byrne looked on to get a shot away at goal but lost possession, Byrne though was quickest to react, she regathered the ball, powered past a couple of Beann Eadair defenders and blasted the ball to the net and the teams were all square.
Holly O’Brien and Julianne Barry exchanged successful free attempts as the sides remained locked together just past the halfway point of the half.
But two goals in as many minutes turned the game in Naomh Fionnbarra’s favour, the first in the nineteenth minute came from the boot of Holly O’Brien, the ever busy half forward picked the ball up in midfield, ran into space and took a speculative shot for a point from distance, the ball arrowed towards the post, but it dipped just under the crossbar and went into the net off the hands of goalkeeper Hollie Roche.
O’Brien was involved again moments later, after another penetrating run through the middle she offloaded to Meggan O’Reilly who cleverly picked out Siobhan Byrne in space and the full forward made no mistake with a low finish on the ground to the right hand corner of the net.
Beann Eadair needed a response, a fine point from Hannah Stapleton about twenty five metres out ended a barren eleven minute scoring drought.
A minute later and the deficit was reduced to just two points. Thureesa Pitcher won the resultant kick-out, offloaded to midfielder Allanah McGregor who in turn hand passed to Hannah Stapleton who found Hollie White with a delightful foot pass and the first half substitute finished with aplomb to the net to reduce the deficit to two points.
Beann Eadair almost retook the lead in the final embers of the half, Hollie White was unlucky to see her well struck shot crash off the crossbar and although Issy Markey gathered the rebound, her effort at goal was brilliantly saved by Ava O’Connor in the Naomh Fionnbarra goal.
It was left to the Cabra side to have the last say of the half, substitute Siobhan Kehoe only minutes on the pitch turned the ball over, offloaded the ball to Aoife Kehoe, ran on to receive the ball back and split the posts for an excellent point to leave the score at half-time 3-03 to 2-03.
Naomh Fionnbarra dominated the second half, just after the restart they stretched their lead out to six points, Carla Wolohan Maguire made an incisive run through the centre, hand passed to Holly O’Brien who kicked a pass to Siobhan Kehoe, the ball dropped just over her shoulder and Kehoe struck the ball on the half volley to the net past the despairing dive of goalkeeper Hollie Roche.
Mia Bailey and Holly O’Brien added a point each to stretch the lead out to eight points. It was all Naomh Fionnbarra at this stage and with twenty minutes left in the game the result was all but secured with two quick fire goals, the first came from Siobhan Byrne after Erin Peppard Leonard turned the ball over close to the Beann Eadair goal and released the full forward in front of goal.
And the second came from the boot of Yasmin McAuley who struck a low shot to the bottom corner of the net after good set up play from Holly O’Brien.
Siobhan Byrne grabbed her fourth goal of the contest in the forty fifth minute, Erin Peppard Leonard once again overturned the ball deep in the Beann Eadair half, Leonard hand passed the ball to Siobhan Kehoe running off her shoulder and a couple of strides further on Kehoe found Byrne in space and the number fourteen made no mistake with the finish.
In fairness to Beann Eadair they never dropped their heads and drove on in the closing minutes to register the final three scores of the final, the first a brilliant finish by Lilly Goold to register her sides third goal of the game. A point from Thureesa Pitcher from open play and a converted free from Julianne Barry reduced the deficit further.
The Beann Eadair players drove forward in the final moments of the game and were awarded a penalty for a foot block, Roisin Barrett stood up to take the spot kick but saw her effort saved by Ava O’Connor, but in the ensuing scramble for the ball, Beann Eadair were awarded a second penalty again for a foot block. Once again Barrett placed the ball on the spot and once again O’Connor pulled off the stop and Naomh Fionnbarra ran out comfortable and deserving winners on a scoreline of 7-05 to 3-05.
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