Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Semi-Final

Latton 1-9 Ballybay 1-8                    24/9/11

Latton squeezed through to the Senior Football Championship Final in the most dramatic fashion with a late comeback against neighbours Ballybay in Saturday’s semi-final at Emyvale. Veteran Kevin Hughes came off the bench to save the day for Latton with a goal at the death, before Owen Duffy completed an unlikely comeback with a point that deserved to win any game. Latton had been less than impressive over the hour, but their experience told down the final straight.

Ballybay, who had reached this stage for the first time in 22 years, weren’t overawed by the occasion and as the final minutes ticked away, they looked set to make a first county final since 1987, only to suffer a cruel blow at the end. Owen Duffy, Shane Coyle, Owen Lennon and Paul Fitzpatrick were among the main men on the night for Latton. A number of Ballybay players were unlucky to finish the wrong side of the result – not least Thomas Kerr, Shane and Christopher McGuinness, Ryan and Brent Wylie and Paul Finlay – while they sorely missed Hugh Malone and Fergal Smyth, even though Drew Wylie was able to return from injury.

Paul Finlay opened the scoring from a 30-metre free, but left-footed points from Owen Duffy and Hugh McElroy – the latter after good work by Edmund Lennon – edged Latton ahead. McElroy doubled Latton’s lead with a well-taken point from play, but Ballybay seized the initiative against the run of play when Shane McGuinness punched home the opening goal. Ballybay then took charge of the next 15 minutes, with Thomas Kerr kicking a point after a good pass from Christopher McGuinness before setting up Shane McGuinness to burst through for another goal chance, only for Latton keeper Seán Farmer to get in the way and keep the goalbound shot out.

Kerr was again the provider when Christopher McGuinness swung over a good point, before McGuinness combined with Aaron Toner to release Finlay, who sent his goal-attempt past the post, although he was fouled in the process, allowing Kerr to tap the resulting 13-metre free over the bar. Latton had the final say of the half, though, when Shane Coyle kicked a good point to end 22 scoreless minutes for his side and leave them trailing by just three at half-time on a scoreline of 1-4 to 0-4.

Shane Coyle added the first point of the second half from a 30-metre free after a foul on Niall Traynor, before Kerr sent a first-time snapshot over the bar, following good approach play by Thomas O’Neill and Shane McGuinness. Coyle converted another 30-metre free for a foul on Hugh McElroy, but a spectacular long-range point from play by Finlay kept Ballybay three clear. They went close to doubling their lead when Christopher McGuinness got his fist to a high centre from Finlay, but the ball went narrowly wide. Owen Duffy linked up with Owen Lennon to get a nice point back for Latton, who closed the gap to the minimum when Coyle pointed a 25-metre free for a foul on Stephen McElroy.

Ballybay were holding firm, though, and a foul on sub Hugh Malone allowed Finlay to restore their two-point advantage, before Malone got on the end of a Christopher McGuinness pass and laid it off for Kerr to kick a left-footed point, which had the Ballybay support believing that their 24-year wait for a county final was about to end. Latton had other ideas, however, and when Owen Duffy dropped a dangerous free towards the square, Hugh McElroy got a fist to the ball and it broke off the post into the grateful arms of Kevin Hughes, who fired to the net. Before play restarted, Ballybay had sub Pauric Kerr sent off after an off-the-ball incident and Latton took their chance, as Owen Duffy booted over a great score to win it.

Latton will now contest their fifth SFC Final since 2003 when they take on Scotstown on October 9.

Latton: S Farmer; E Lennon, K Duffy, O Coyle; S Fitzpatrick, P Fitzpatrick, D O’Brien; O Lennon, A Farmer (Capt.); S McElroy, B O’Brien, N Traynor; S Coyle (0-4, 3f), H McElroy (0-2), O Duffy (0-3).

Subs: T Connolly for Traynor (48 mins), K Hughes (1-0) for S McElroy (53)

Ballybay: S Gorman; B McCabe, D Wylie (Capt.), R Wylie; P Stuart, M McArdle, B Wylie; T O’Neill, S McQuillan; A Toner, F McArdle, T Kerr (0-4, 1f); S McGuinness (1-0), P Finlay (0-3, 2f), C McGuinness (0-1).

Subs: J Kerr for M McArdle (inj., 9), P Kerr for Toner (48), H Malone for F McArdle (53).

Referee: P McEnaney (Corduff).