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Go Ahead Ireland Dublin LGFA Junior M Club Championship Final
O’Dwyers B 4-08 Na Gaeil Aeracha 2-07
By Nigel McCarthy
That old saying that goals win games was certainly true this Sunday afternoon in St Margarets GAA Club as O’Dwyers B overcame a resolute Na Gaeil Aeracha side to claim the 2025 Go Ahead Ireland, Dublin LGFA Junior M Club Championship crown.
A heavy rain shower just before throw-in made conditions difficult for both teams. But it was O’Dwyers ability to score a pair of goals in each half at crucial times that proved the vital component to securing the win in a very evenly contested final.
Both teams had found the net inside the opening six minutes of Sundays final, O’Dwyers were first to raise a green flag when midfielder Ellen Guildea finished to the net.
But Na Gaeil Aeracha plundered a goal of their own moments later scored by the Ciara Patton who was one of the standout players on the day.
In the tenth minute Na Gaeil Aeracha almost added a second goal, but O’Dwyers goalkeeper Abbey McCurdy showed great athleticism to tip Karen Blaney’s powerful shot over the bar.
Ten minutes before the break O’Dwyers half-forward Niamh Orange made an incisive run down the left wing and found Karen Kieran in front of goal and the number fourteen hit a fine effort to the right-hand corner of the net.
O’Dwyers almost added a third just before the break but Karen Kiernan’s effort hit the crossbar and the danger was cleared.
By the break the Balbriggan side held a five-point advantage with the score 2-06 to 1-04, but Na Gaeil Aeracha had shown enough threat in the first half to suggest this game was far from over.
And so it proved as just two minutes after the restart Na Gaeil Aeracha grabbed their second goal of the game with a fine finish to bottom left hand corner of the net by Ciara Patton.
Just as Na Gaeil Aeracha looked to be gaining momentum O’Dwyers hit them
with a breakaway goal finished by Niamh Orange. And a point quickly followed from Ellen Guildea to restore the five-point half-time lead.
Na Gaeil Aeracha piled on the pressure looking to once again reduce the deficit, but time after time their forays forward were stopped in their tracks by player of the match Chloe Flynn, the full-back turned over a huge amount of ball and her ability to read the game and intercept passes, along with her calmness under pressure proved a huge factor in securing the win.
With time running out Na Gaeil Aeracha pushed hard for a goal to give them the chance of a grandstand finish, but once again O’Dwyers hit them on the counter with Erin McCormack finishing brilliantly to the net for her sides fourth goal to guarantee that the title would be heading to Balbriggan.
The rain was still pouring down when the game started, Na Gaeil Aeracha won the throw-in and went on the first attack of the game. Alex Bermingham carried the ball towards the twenty-one-yard line and offloaded to Brianna Brady who popped over the first point of the day.
The O’Dwyers response was swift, having worked the ball into the opposition half they patiently recycled the ball from left to right, midfielder Ellen Guildea pulled out to the right corner to receive the ball, cut in along the endline and let fly and the ball nestled into the top corner of the net.
The Balbriggan outfit won the resultant restart and Niamh Orange extended the lead to three with a well taken point. Seconds later and Leah Brady added another point as O’Dwyers pinned their opponents in their own half.
Na Gaeil Aeracha won the next kick-out and a long pass from defence found Brianna Brady who offloaded to Ciara Patton racing through the middle and the left half-forwards shot flew past O’Dwyers goalkeeper Abbey McCurdy and into the net to leave just a point between the teams.
Back came O’Dwyers, the ball was worked down the left and brilliantly switched to the right to Erin McCormack who split the posts.
In the tenth minute Na Gaeil Aeracha almost grabbed their second goal of the half, Debra Doherty hit a high pass from the right to the centre, which was caught by Karen Blaney in front of goal, Blaney hit a powerful shot at goal but Abbey McCurdy showed great athleticism to tip the ball over the bar for a point.
In the twelfth minute midfielder Ellen Guildea picked up a loose ball deep in the Na Gaeil Aeracha defence turned inside her marker and hit a fine right footed effort over the bar.
Seconds later Sophie Foley Darcy intercepted the ball just past the midfield area, offloaded to Karen Kieran who hand passed to Lia Butler and Butler kicked a pass out to the left-hand side to Leah Brady to slot another point over the bar.
At the midway point of the half Na Gaeil Aeracha were awarded a free out on the left about fifty metres out, the ball was kicked up the left wing to Ciara Patton who went on a penetrating run through the middle and passed to Debra Doherty running off her shoulder and the midfielder popped the ball over the bar.
Ciara Patton then won the kick-out and reduced the deficit to a single point with a well taken point.
But with eleven minutes left in the half Niamh Orange broke down the left wing and picked out Karen Kiernan who shot to the bottom right-hand corner of the net.
O’Dwyers almost secured a third goal shortly afterwards, Leah Brady took a quick free to Karen Kiernan in space on the left, Kiernan hit a shot across the goal which hit the crossbar and was cleared to safety.
The last score of the half came from Ellen Guildea with a point to give O’Dwyers a five-point advantage at the break.
But this game was still in the melting pot as a combination of the wet conditions and the attacking threat Na Gaeil Aeracha had shown in the first half meant that the result wasn’t a forgone conclusion.
And just two minutes into the second half a move involving Rebecca Hurson and Ciara Patton seen the latter stroke the ball to the bottom left-hand corner of the net for Na Gaeil Aeracha’s second goal of the game.
In the thirty seventh minute Patton added a point to her ever-growing tally to leave just the bare minimum between the teams.
Na Gaeil Aeracha pushed hard for the equaliser, but they came unstuck as O’Dwyers turned the ball over and caught them on the counterattack with Niamh Orange powering the ball to the net to once again give her side a little bit of breathing space.
The sides shared two points apiece as the game headed into the final ten minutes, the scores coming from Ellen Guildea and Karen Kiernan for O’Dwyers and Ciara Patton and Rebecca Hurson for Na Gaeil Aeracha.
With the clock against them the Na Gaeil Aeracha players gave it a final push to score that all important goal that would allow them a grandstand finish. They piled players forward but the O’Dwyers players, in particular Chloe Flynn, stood firm throwing their bodies on the line to block or deflect a number of shots at goal.
And just before the whistle in their effort to get back into the game Na Gaeil Aeracha left themselves light at the back, O’Dwyers cleared the ball to centre field to Erin McCormack who had acres of clear ground ahead of her, McCormack bore down on goal and unleashed an unstoppable shot to the net to secure the win and title for the team from Balbriggan.
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