For the umpteenth time, Kevin Hughes was the main man up front for Latton in 2002. Not for the first time though, his efforts were unrewarded. Kevin Carney reports. Ripe for a Bosman-type transfer to maybe make the difference to a wannabe club elsewhere only he's immersed in another sport and, anyway, he's a loyal, one-man, one-club player. Ripe for a recall to the senior county team only he's the wrong side of 30, married and anyway the inter-county scene is an oasis for singles only really. Ripe for at least one more shot at catapulting Latton to the summit of Monaghan football? Maybe, but for now Kevin Hughes is hedging his bets. Not quite the politician, ever the diplomat, you see. Football punditry is a mug's game after all - even if you're in a pivotal position to influence matters. And despite the petitions of an eager-beaver hack, our man Hughes isn't quite prepared to clasp the crystal ball in the way he might pin a size five leather ball to his gut. "You never know what's around the corner," he simply says. Fast approaching his 33rd birthday, Kevin is still the main man down Latton way in the eyes of many observers of the Monaghan club scene. Eoin Lennon, Hugh McElroy and John O'Brien are rising stars but the team's elder lemon is the one Latton player most likely to squeeze the life out of the opposition, observers are inclined to suggest. Hughes in full stride, bombing towards goal, is indeed both an inspiring sight for his colleagues and a red rag to opposition defenders. It's all of 16 years now since Hughes first kicked a ball in anger for Latton seniors. That year, 1986, he collected a Junior Football Championship medal. For a period of time during 2002, he looked as if he was maybe on track to adding a prized senior championship medal. Things didn't work out to plan though. "I think we blew it. We had a great opportunity to go the whole way. We were playing some good stuff in the championship and were four points up at one stage against Magheracloone in the semi-final but unfortunately let them off the hook," Hughes laments. And so once more the O'Rahillys fell tantalisingly short of the target. Another couple of scoring forwards, a tad more of the killer touch and the presence of Hugh McElroy and Brendan Lennon on board and things might have been so different in 2002 for Latton. Another year of what have been perhaps but Kevin maintains the white and blues remain well up the peleton of Monaghan football. "There's very little between five or six of the top teams in the county at senior level and I would include us in that group. But as time moves on, it's becoming all the more important that we make things happen and that we hit the jackpot. We had some very good teams in the early nineties and got to the senior final in '96 but we still didn't lift the title. It's a similar situation now. We're getting so far and that's as far as we go." Nowadays, our man Hughes is one of the very few survivors from those heady days at the start of the nineties when Latton were hailed by club personnel from all corners of the county as the 'coming team'. Latton have possibly a bigger selection of players now than they had ten years ago but the strength in depth may be temporarily missing, as Kevin concurs. "We have plenty of players but competition for places isn't as strong as the club would like. A lot of younger players have come through in the last few years but it will take time for them to mature and gain experience and achieve their best form." When Hughes and co. reached the 1996 blue riband final - the club's first since 1930 - the scoreboard looked lobsided at the end of the game. But in 2002 things couldn't have been that much closer when the two met. First though, the O'Rahillys went head-to-head with senior championship rookies Tyholland at Clontibret. It was an alarming experience for the Cavan-border side. Latton led by three points to one after 11 minutes with Hughes, their spiritual leader, the major thorn in Tyholland's side. Meanwhile further out the field Eoin Lennon and his opposite number Cyril Ronaghan engaged in an enthralling contest all of their own. A brace of goals by Tyholland left Latton trailing by three points at half-time but a hat-trick of points by the aforementioned Lennon and a brace of frees by the unerring Hughes helped put Latton on the path to victory, it seemed. However a last-gasp Tyholland point ensured a replay. "Although they ended up getting the equaliser, I thought, overall, we were lucky to get the draw. Our greater experience stood to us that day," Kevin reflects. Whatever complacency or sluggishness characterised Latton's opening championship salvo quickly dissolved by the time the replay came around. This time around, the match favourites cantered home in emphatic style, winning by 1-15 to 0-3 with Latton's powerful number 14 accounting for 1-7 of his side's tally. "We played a lot better in the replay. They showed their inexperience at times, having just come up from intermediate, but we also made much better use of the ball and the forwards tackled far better. Our team-management looked at the drawn game carefully and saw how loose we were in different departments in the drawn game and we worked hard to tighten things up and really got stuck in from the opening whistle. " I think their decision to take Raymond Ronaghan out from full-forward to midfield didn't do them any favours either because their threat in front of our goal was reduced big-time afterwards," the self-employed electrician reflects. Fulsome in his praise of the work put in by the senior management team of Tony McGorman (manager) selectors Gerry Connolly, Patrick Hamilton, Brendan Fitzpatrick and trainer Paddy Martin, the Junior double winner from 1988 and Hackett Cup winner from '89 was again to the fore in the garnering of scores against the Faughs in a fractious second round joust. His three points helped secure a 0-9 to 1-6 draw for Latton with an equalising goal in injury time by his team-mate Hugh Lennon denying the defending champions a win first time around. Minus the influence of Eoin Lennon at midfield, Latton struggled for long periods and only really imposed themselves in the final ten minutes or thereabouts. "It was a very tough match but the football was poor. It was very physical, probably the most physical match we had all year. 'Blayney hit hard and they rattled us. We have a bit of power in the team up through the middle but not enough all-round though and they (Blayney) won a lot of the battles the first day." After what was arguably the best senior championship game of the year, the replay saw the town team keep on track for a five-in-a-row of blue riband titles by skipping to a 1-14 to 1-10 victory. Once again the issue was in the balance right up to the final whistle. Ultimately though a converted penalty by the Faughs' Kieran Tavey five minutes from time sealed Latton's fate. "It was very disappointing to lose it at the death. We dominated things for nearly three-quarters of the match. At half-time I thought we were well on course to go on and win the game." Despite a five point contribution from the seasoned O'Rahilly stalwart and some brilliant collective play by his colleagues, Latton were sent spinning into the losers' section and a quarter-final tie with Truagh. So the back-door system came in handy then? "Well that's the new system and we were glad to make use of it. I'd be a fan of the new system anyway because I think it's good for the clubs and good for football in the county in general. We had six championship games in 2002 which is what every footballer wants. If you hit a bad day with the old system, you were out of the championship after just one game which wasn't ideal," the former county star remarks. Latton looked a drained and dejected team coming off the pitch against Clontibret but they had to pick themselves up for the Truagh game nevertheless. And as things transpired the final scoreline of Latton 0-11, Truagh 1-6 made for pleasant reading for the Hughes camp. In truth, it was a rugged scrap with bone-crunching tackles, niggly personal battles and fast and furious forward movements predominating. It was nevertheless wholly entertaining stuff even if it wasn't quite what the purist would order on video. Latton were the better team over the piece and were at least two points the better team. The would-be winners showed a telling degree of mental toughness and vaulting ambition to withstand a frenetic finish by Truagh after Damian McRory took advantage of a mix-up in the Latton defence to fly-kick the ball to the net for the only goal of the game in the 11th minute of the second half. Truagh were trailing by 0-8 to 0-3 at that juncture and were playing second fiddle to Latton in several vital sectors of the field, The truth is that Truagh needed to add to their breakaway goal to nick the win. They battled hard to do so but with Brian Coyle, Finbarr Fitzpatrick and Kevin Hughes working like supreme scavengers up front for Latton, the Gaels were to be denied. It was a real workmanlike victory for Latton. It was laboured more than polished, more of the perspiration than the inspiration but merited and convincing nonetheless.The winners appeared determined to rid themselves of the disappointment of having succumbed to 'Blayney last time out and, in real gritty fashion, they worked terrificly hard to make good their second bite of the cherry. In the event, Truagh simply hadn't the same sort of spearhead figure up front to match Hughes. "I thought we were always in control against Truagh and at no stage did I think they were going to get on top of us. We dominated for most of the game and the win was a good morale-booster for us after the defeat to 'Blayney." With their confidence regained, Latton approached their semi-final tie with Magheracloone in upbeat mood. Sadly the team's third semi-final placing in succession was to prove no more rewarding. Kevin notched six points but it counted for nothing in the end. Magheracloone triumphed by 1-15 to 0-13 despite trailing at the break by a single point. Months later and the defeat understandably still rankles with the 33-year old ace attacker who was part of the Monaghan senior panel for seven years during the nineties. "We threw it away. It was tit for tat right through the game but we were well on top in the first ten minutes after half-time and when we went four points in front, I thought we had it in us to go on and win the game. But we ended up shooting ourselves in the foot." So all that's left to do now is prepare for a recall to the county team. Re-joining the panel after a five year sabbatical. "I don't know about that. It's a young, single man's game now. The time and effort being put into it now is way more than what it was ten years ago and I don't know whether I'd be able to give the sort of commitment in the unlikely event of me being approached." So with or without the man himself, how will Colm Coyle get on? "I think he has enough talent to work with but it might take time for the young fellas he has to come into their own at senior level. The supporters will have to be patient and give the new man time to get the right balance among the players - find the sort of blend between the physical and the skilful players that hasn't been there over the last few years." Words to the wise. Tweet

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