London 5-5 Derry 1-11

Jackie Cahill at Croke Park

FULL-forward Linda Lodge scored three goals as London atoned for last year’s final defeat by capturing the TG4 All-Ireland ladies junior football championship crown at Croke Park on Sunday. Lodge scored two goals in the first half before completing her treble six minutes after the break.

London, beaten in the 2007 decider by Kilkenny, captured a first junior title since 1993 as they finally got one over on Derry, who had defeated the Exiles twice this season.
Deirdre O’Riordan’s goal after four minutes set London on their way and Lodge struck just two minutes later to establish an early 2-1 to 0-1 lead.

Lodge was on target again after 16 minutes as London went on to lead by 3-3 to 0-5 at half-time and the Tara star netted again early in the second half as London turned the screw. Substitute Sinéad Cassidy scored Derry’s goal with 13 minutes remaining to give the Oak Leaf County a glimmer of hope.

Cassidy’s strike cut the gap to just four points, 1-9 to 4-4, but Hannah Noonan put the issue beyond any doubt when she bagged London’s fifth goal as Derry’s celebrations were cut short within a minute.

Derry scorers: S Cassidy 1-1 (0-1f), S McCallion 0-3 (2f), K Conway 0-2, N McMullan (f), A Kealey, L Glass, S Vallelly & M McAteer 0-1 each.

London scorers: L Lodge 3-0, N Noonan 1-2, D O’Riordan 1-0, S Keogh (f), N O’Connor & AM Mohan 0-1 each.

DERRY: B Cassidy; N Doherty, N O’Hagan, N McMullan; D McMaster, U Harkin, C Lagan; MA Conway, K Conway; J McLaughlin, A Kealey, S McCallion; U Mullan, L Glass, A McCusker. SUBS: M McAteer for McLaughlin (19m), E Doherty for N Doherty (32m), S Vallelly for Kealey (32m), C Doherty for Lagan (39m), S Cassidy for Mullan (39m).

LONDON: R Cusack; A Murphy, S Daly, R McEvoy; L Tighe, M Jordan, N Keane; N O’Connor, AM Mohan; H Noonan, S Keogh, C Towey; D O’Riordan, L Lodge, B White. SUBS: A McGillicuddy for Towey (45m), G Taylor for Tighe (54m), C Holland for O’Riordan (59m).

Ref: K Delahunty (Tipperary)