Latapy helps Falkirk draw

WESTFIELD: Trinidad and Tobago’s midfield veteran Russell Latapy assisted on the goal that helped league leaders Falkirk secure a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Hamilton on Saturday. Falkirk were made to fight all the way for a share of the points in an entertaining draw. Hamilton stunned the home side by snatching a first-minute lead when Jean Phillipe Javary headed in a well struck Brian Carrigan cross.  

Falkirk equalised seven minutes later when a partial clearance was returned by player-manager John Hughes with a looping header.  Latapy had swung the ball over and it was cleared as far as Hughes, who headed strongly for goal. The back-pedalling Hamilton goalkeeper David McEwan managed to get his fingertips to it but the momentum of the ball carried it high over the line into the net. The Bairns had several good chances to snatch the points early in the second half when Neil Scally was twice denied by keeper David McEwan and a Daniel McBreen effort was cleared off the line. But in the end Hamilton, second from bottom in the standings, held out for a precious point with new signing Marcel Mahouve outstanding in midfield. 

Falkirk, enjoying a handsome lead in the standings, have 59 points and maintain a 17-point advantage over Clyde, who were held to a 3-3 draw by Raith on Saturday. Latapy, who turned 37 years old last week, continues to be an influential player in the Falkirk line-up.   He played professionally in Portugal for five years where he won a League Winners Medal with Porto and a Cup Winners Medal with Boavista, prior to joining Hibernian in 1998.   He was named the Scottish Football League Division One Player’s “Player of the Year” in 1999 before moving to Glasgow Rangers in 2001 followed by a short spell at Dundee United, before joining Falkirk in 2003.