Mayo no match for hat-trick heroine Hannah
 By LARRY
COONEY
LONDON 4-9
MAYO 0-7
THREE goals scored in the opening 24 minutes by Hannah Noonan set up
London ladies for an easy 14-point victory over Mayo at Ruislip on Saturday.
Less than 24 hours after receiving her special merit Award at the London
GAA awards the young London-born star forward was displaying the kind
of form that has made her one of the most highly-rated players in the
game outside
Ireland. However the latest performance from Tommy Donoghue’s
team was by no means a one-woman show and on this form there is real hope
of honours for the Exiles in the near future.
In perfect playing conditions the visitors were first off the mark when
their star performer Siobhan Fadden opened their account with a point
after four minutes. London struck back instantly when corner-forward Joanne
De Ward set up Linda Lodge who finally passed to Hannah Noonan to finish
with aplomb for the opening goal after only five minutes.
Mayo reduced the deficit to a point with another Fadden point after seven
minutes before Joanne De Ward scored London’s first point two minutes
later. Although Fadden pointed soon after, disaster was about to strike
for the visitors when a slick passing movement beginning deep in the London
defence resulted in Sharon Lynch putting Noonan through for her second
goal after 12 minutes.
Lynch put five points between the sides a minute later as the Mayo defence
struggled to cope with London’s direct running style.
Mayo goalkeeper Emma Galligan found herself picking the ball out of
the net for the third time in the 22nd minute when Noonan out-punched
two defenders to complete her hat-trick. Lynch and Noonan completed Mayo’s
first-half misery with further points in the closing stages with a Siobhan
Farry pointed free completing the visitors’ first-half tally to
leave the score London 4-4 Mayo 0-4.
On the resumption Mayo attempted to get back into contention and were
encouraged by two early points from their lone scorer Siobhan Farry. But
the visitors were facing a mammoth task against a London defence superbly
marshalled by centre-back Monica Jordan and well supported by many fine
individual displays including the tenacious Evelyn Griffin, Helen Stephens
and Ann Murphy.
Although Mayo made a number of substitutions London continued to dominate
the important areas around midfield where Edel Grennan and Susan Byrne
were always prominent and in attack where Orna Tierney and Michelle Brennan
also played their part.
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