Drumlin Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League Final

Clontibret 1-7 Latton 0-6                                23/10/11

Latton’s bid for a first Monaghan senior double fell short when they lost to Clontibret in the Senior Football League Final at Scotstown on Sunday. Constant and heavy rain made conditions very difficult for both teams and it contributed to a scrappy game, which Clontibret won by four even though they only scored two points from play.

After getting off to a good start with a goal from a John Paul Mone penalty, Clontibret lost their way – going almost 20 minutes without scoring – but they took over at midfield in a strong second-half performance which saw them outscore Latton by six points to one. It was the second week in a row that the county champions had been held to just a point after the restart, but unlike their semi-final against Ballybay, this time it wasn’t enough and their preparations for their upcoming Ulster club campaign were hit by Dermot O’Brien and Edmund Lennon being sent off in the dying minutes.

The accurate free-taking of Conor McManus saw Clontibret over the line, with the help of John Paul Mone, Colum Greenan, Colin Duffy and Conor Boyle (who adapted well after having to fill in for the injured Dessie Mone at centre-back), despite the best efforts of the likes of Owen Coyle, Kieran Duffy and Stephen Fitzpatrick for Latton.

The first score of the game was the only goal, as John Paul Mone converted a penalty for a foul on his brother Fergal in the ninth minute to get Clontibret up and running, but Latton countered with four unanswered points. Hugh McElroy got them off a mark, before Shane Coyle added a point from play and Owen Duffy sent over at the end of a surging run to equalise. Niall Traynor kicked a good score after strong work by Aidan Farmer to edge Latton ahead for the first time, but Ryan McGuigan brought Clontibret level when he kicked their first point and their first score from play in the 29th minute. Another 30-metre free by McElroy sent Latton in at half-time with a one-point lead on a scoreline of 0-5 to 1-1.

Clontibret got back on terms three minutes after the restart when Conor McManus converted a 30-metre free for a foul on Fergal Mone and they retook the lead when Vincent Corey lofted over a well-taken score after a one-two with Fergal Mone. Clontibret missed a chance to increase their lead when a fisted effort from Ronan Murphy came off the upright, but a foul on Murphy allowed McManus to kick his second point from a 20-metre free.

Another brace of pointed frees from McManus made it five without reply for Clontibret, while Latton were unlucky on a couple of occasions not to hit back, as a Hugh McElroy free from a tight angle hit the crossbar, before Kieran Duffy was unfortunate to see a long-range effort bounce clear off an upright. Latton finally got their first (and only) score of the second half three minutes from time through Owen Coyle, but their hopes of a late revival were set back by red cards to Dermot O’Brien and Edmund Lennon in injury-time. O’Brien saw a straight red after an off-the-ball incident and he was quickly followed by Lennon, who was shown a second yellow for a foul on Paul McGuigan. Clontibret put the result beyond doubt in the last of four added minutes when McManus kicked the insurance score from his fifth free of the second half – a 30-metre effort after a foul on Ryan McGuigan.

This win, Clontibret’s first SFL victory since 2007, sees them avoid a rare trophy-less season at senior level and their captain Vincent Corey accepted the Owen Ward Cup from County Board Vice-Chairman Pádraig Sherry.

Clontibret: P McElroy; P Boyle, C Greenan, P Boyle; D Carragher, D Mone, D Mooney; JP Mone (1-0, pen), Paul McGuigan; V Corey (Capt., 0-1), C McManus (0-5f), R Murphy; R Gorman, F Mone, C Boyle.

Subs: R McGuigan (0-1) for D Mone (inj., 12 mins), Pádraig McGuigan for Gorman (H-T), E Greenan for Mooney (inj., 55).

Latton: S Farmer; P Fitzpatrick, E Lennon, O Coyle (0-1); D O’Brien, K Duffy, S Fitzpatrick; O Lennon, A Farmer (Capt.); S McElroy, B O’Brien, O Duffy (0-1); S Coyle (0-1), H McElroy (0-2f), N Traynor (0-1).

Subs: P Shannon for P Fitzpatrick (H-T), T Connolly for Traynor (49), B Lennon for S Coyle (55).

Referee: K Murtagh (Toome).