Two-thousand-and-three was an historic year for Latton, who won the Owen Ward Cup (Division One league) for the first time and also reached the final of the Monaghan SFC. Yes, Latton have truly arrived as a force in senior football and this time they're here to stay! Latton's senior footballers can look back on the events of 2003 with a tremendous sense of satisfaction. They made history with a sensational Owen Ward Cup heist, stunning holders Clontibret in the Division One decider with a dramatic Martin O'Brien injury-time winner and went close to recording an unbelievable senior double. Latton also contested the senior championship showpiece in September and fancied their chances of capturing the SFC for the first time since 1930. However, Castleblayney's experience showed to telling effect and it was the Faughs who took the laurels for the 37th time by virtue of a 0-10 to 0-6 victory. By subsequently holding their composure to win the senior league courtesy of narrow but thrilling semi-final and final defeats of Magheracloone and Clontibret respectively, Latton confirmed that they will definitely be in the shake-up for championship honours again in 2004. The 2003 Monaghan senior football league final between Latton and '02 senior double-winners Clontibret took place at Scotstown on Sunday November 16th. Considering the stakes, it was a tense and uncompromising affair, which looked pre-ordained to end in a draw until Martin O'Brien popped up with an unlikely winning point two minutes into added time. Wing forward O'Brien's dramatic salvo was enough to secure a slender 0-8 to 0-7 win for O'Rahillys and brought the much-coveted Owen Ward Cup to Latton for the first time. It was Martin's only point of a disjointed final - but by far the most important one! With so much at stake and a close game inevitable, not to mention the cold weather, the '03 Owen Ward final was sometimes more akin to a scrap than a free-flowing game of football. But such encounters are equally intriguing - the 2003 Tyrone-Armagh All-Ireland final being a case in point - and it takes a particularly determined, focused and disciplined team to come out on top. On November 16th 2003, that team was Latton O'Rahillys... Latton led by 0-5 to 0-2 at half time and appeared to have a degree of control over proceedings, but their impetus was stifled by the sending-off (for a second bookable offence) of corner back Edmund Lennon in the third quarter and Clontibret came back into the reckoning and drew level. Suddenly it looked as though the Latton lads might pay the ultimate price for having failed to push home their superiority when on top, but they dug deep to find the late, late clincher. Two minutes from the end of normal time, numerical equality was restored when Clontibret's Dessie Mone also received his marching orders for a second bookable offence. Eoin Lennon gave a barnstorming performance at midfield for the winners. Assisted by Aidan Farmer, the county man came up against the formidable pairing of Brendan Og Magennis and John Paul Mone (Anthony Rooney missed out through injury) and had a huge influence on everything that happened in the crucial midfield zone, working his socks off over the hour. Industrious and energetic, Lennon was always on hand to offer support going forward or extra cover at the back. Centre forward Finbar Fitzpatrick and full forward Kevin Hughes registered three points apiece. The No.11 in particular had an excellent game, running the Clontibret rearguard ragged, linking the play and finding the range with three superb efforts. Fitzpatrick's brace towards the end of the first half - scores that put Latton four clear - was inspirational and played a big part in persuading his team-mates that this was going to be Latton's day. Clontibret were first to raise a flag when Darren Mulligan pointed in the second minute but 24 minutes elapsed before the losers added to their tally with their only other score of the half. In the meantime, Latton seized the initiative and marked the game's most dominant period with five consecutive points. Leading by three at the interval, Latton were held scoreless for the third quarter as Clontibret upped their work rate. They drew within a point during that phase of the final - and twice more in the fourth quarter before eventually equalising through a Paul McGuigan free right on the hour. Neither side was prepared to settle for a draw, however, and both created (but spurned) decent opportunities before O'Brien achieved legendary status with his winning point three minutes into stoppage time. Latton qualified for the final when they edged out Magheracloone by 0-11 to 1-7 in a closely-contested 'semi' at Toome a week earlier, Sunday November 9th. This fixture carried plenty of recent history as Magheracloone had beaten Latton in a 2002 SFC semi-final but Gerry Connolly's team turned the tables with a thrilling '03 SFC semi-final success (after a replay). In the '03 league semi-final, Latton led from start to finish but had to show true grit and resolve to see off a spirited late rally from the Mitchells. Eoin Lennon dictated first-half proceedings and Kevin Hughes delivered some fine scores to give the winners a 0-5 to 0-2 interval cushion. Magheracloone were a transformed side after introducing Tom Freeman and the International Rules star's goal six minutes from time placed the cat amongst the pigeons. Hughes' early point was cancelled out but the irrepressible full forward added further scores in the 14th, 18th and 25th minutes, supplemented by a Hughie McElroy effort eight minutes before the short whistle, to provide the aforementioned three-point half-time advantage. The 2002 county finalists reduced the deficit to the minimum with two quick scores on the resumption but the '03 county finalists then went on a match-winning scoring spree that yielded four unanswered minors. Those scores from Hughes(2), McElroy and Dermot O'Brien were enough to see Latton lead by double scores, 0-10 to 0-5, as the game entered its final quarter. The five-point lead remained intact with nine minutes remaining, after McElroy swapped points with Paudie Finnegan, but Freeman's goal, followed by a 26th minute point from the same player, left Latton hanging on for dear life. They held firm, however, to deservedly book their place in the final, wherein the other county finalists of '02, Clontibret, would also be subjected to a one-point defeat... Neither of the 2002 finalists (Clontibret and Magheracloone) made it through to the 2003 county SFC decider, but Latton went a step further than they had the previous year by earning a county final day meeting with Castleblayney Faughs. It was Latton's first appearance on the big day since 1996 (when 'Blayney beat them 3-17 to 0-5) and they were hoping to bridge a 73-year gap by landing the Mick Duffy Cup. It was to be a disappointing day for Gerry Connolly's charges, however, as 'Blayney prevailed by 0-10 to 0-6 at Clones on Sunday September 21st. With eleven minutes remaining, Latton were in with a great shout, the sides locked on six points apiece, but Faughs' greater experience of the big occasion shone through as they rattled off four points without reply to take the spoils. It could have been different for Latton, who missed a number of presentable scoring opportunities at vital junctures in the final. David Lennon was particularly unfortunate when his two late goal chances yielded just a solitary point between them ... one flew over the (cuckoo's nest, anyone?) bar, while the second was brilliantly saved by Derek Sullivan in the Castleblayney goal. Latton had already registered seven wides before Finbar Fitzpatrick opened the scoring in the 18th minute but they still carried a 0-4 to 0-3 lead into the break. 'Blayney took the lead for the first time eight minutes into the second half thanks to a brace from Ciaran Tavey but Eoin Lennon fired a leveller. David Lennon grabbed Latton's sixth point after Dermot Duffy had put the winners back in front. But Latton failed to score again while Castleblayney helped themselves to four more points. Though they could well have had a couple of goals, Latton failed to raise a flag in the closing ten minutes and that's where the 2003 Monaghan senior football championship final was won and lost. Latton had kicked off their championship campaign slowly with a one-point defeat of Donaghmoyne before losing to Castleblayney by six points in a second-round tie. From here, they did extremely well to regroup, clinching their place in the final by virtue of a 1-8 to 0-10 semi-final replay victory over Magheracloone at Carrickmacross on Sunday September 7th. While the '03 SFC final did not go quite according to plan, Latton nonetheless gave as good as they got for 50 minutes and recovered brilliantly to claim the Owen Ward Cup. With appearances in the finals of both senior competitions and a landmark SFL breakthrough, 2003 really was a year to remember for Latton O'Rahillys GFC! Latton, 2003 Monaghan senior football league winners: Sean Farmer; Hughie Lennon, Ruairi Ward, Edmund Lennon; Dermot O'Brien, Brian Coyle, Francis Coyle; Eoin Lennon, Aidan Farmer; Stephen Fitzpatrick, Finbar Fitzpatrick (0-3), Martin O'Brien (0-1); Hughie McElroy (0-1), Kevin Hughes (0-3), Noel Coyle. Sub: David Lennon. Tweet

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