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Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior L Club Championship Final
Good Counsel Liffey Gaels 2-09 Pobal Parnell B 1-04
By Nigel McCarthy
An unusual second half tactical switch paid huge dividends for Good Counsel Liffey Gaels as they claimed the 2025 Go Ahead Ireland, Dublin LGFA Junior L Club Championship title against Pobal Parnell B in Lawless Park in Swords on Friday evening.
There was nothing to separate the sides at half-time after a tight, tense, low scoring opening half with both defensive units proving difficult to break down.
But the game turned on its head just before the midway stage of the second half, thanks to an unusual tactical switch by the Good Counsel Liffey Gaels management team.
Substitute goalkeeper Edel Cummins was sent on in the forty second minute for centre half-forward Ciara Downey. Cummins headed to take up her position between the posts and starting keeper Kim Hickey donned the number twenty jersey and was thrown in at full forward.
The move proved inspirational as player of the match Kim Hickey immediately plundered two goals just seconds apart from each other to put Good Counsel Liffey Gaels in control of the game.
It was a lead they never relinquished and although Pobal Parnell battled right till the final whistle, Good Counsel Liffey Gaels ran out comfortable eight-point victors.
Good Counsel Liffey Gaels opened the scoring in the third minute, Naoise O’Sullivan won the ball around the middle of the park, O’Sullivan drove towards goal, passed the ball to Emily Stoneham who cut in along the end-line and found Ciara Heavey in the centre with an accurate hand pass and Heavey popped the ball over the bar.
That lead was stretched out to four points by the tenth minute courtesy of three Jade Henry points two converted frees and one from open play.
Pobal Parnell needed to respond and from the next kick out they moved the ball at pace through the lines and Cara Fitzpatrick Cullen struck over her sides first point of the final.
Jade Henry was unlucky not to secure the first goal of the game in the fourteenth minute when her shot at goal struck the post.
The game then entered a scoreless six-minute spell with attacks from both teams breaking down at vital moments.
But that barren spell was broken in the twentieth minute, Pobal Parnell were awarded a free just past the midfield area, it was quickly taken, Good Counsel Liffey Gaels hadn’t reset their defensive shape and Amy Dunne was left completely unmarked in front of goal and the left half forward collected the ball, turned and buried the ball to the net to draw the sides level.
That was the last score of the half with both defensive units proving a hard nut to crack and at the break with the game level at 1-01 to 0-04 it was all still to play for.
Both teams made substitutions for the start of the second half as they looked to gain the upper hand in this tight contest.
Two minutes after the restart Emily Stoneham, who was one of the standout players throughout, picked up the ball in her own half and went on a rampaging run towards the Pobal Parnell goal, Stoneham exchanged passes with Jade Henry and was fouled about forty metres from goal. Henry took a quick free to Sarah McGuinness closer to the posts and she drew another foul that Henry converted to give Good Counsel Liffey Gaels the lead.
Pobal Parnell launched the next meaningful attack and their patient build up play paid dividends, the Coolock side recycled the ball from side to side probing for an opening and half-time substitute Aoife Canty was found in a pocket of space and she stroked the ball over the bar to level the score.
With twenty minutes remaining two quick fire points, one from midfielder Geri Montgomery and a converted free from Aoife Canty gave Pobal Parnell a two-point advantage.
That sparked an unusual tactical switch from the Good Counsel Liffey Gaels management. Substitute goalkeeper Edel Cummins was called from the bench to enter the fray, she ran on and headed towards the goal, centre half forward Ciara Downey left the field in her place and starting keeper Kim Hickey swapped her number one jersey for the number twenty and took up the full forward position.
That switch proved to be instantly inspirational, Good Counsel Liffey Gaels worked the ball down the right wing to the endline and the ball was floated to the centre to Kim Hickey completely unmarked in front of goal and Hickey made no mistake and blasted the ball to the net.
Good Counsel Liffey Gaels won the resultant kick-out and inexplicably Hickey was once again left unmarked and grabbed her second goal to turn the game on its head.
Those two goals inspired the Good Counsel Liffey Gaels players to drive for home and they tagged on four more unanswered points before the final whistle, three from Jade Henry, one from a free and two from open play and one from corner back Saoirse Impey after and excellent clearance from Siún Keating.
Pobal Parnell battled till the end but were unable to breach their opponents backline and Good Counsel Liffey Gaels ran out deserving winners in the end.
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