Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter
Members of the Trelawny FA National Rums of Jamaica Top League champion team, Clark's Town, including goalkeeper Rodney Hamilton (right), celebrate with the trophy after beating Preston 2-1 in the return-leg final at Elliston Wakeland Centre yesterday. – Paul Reid photo
WESTERN BUREAU:
CLARK'S TOWN confirmed their supremacy in Trelawny's local domestic football this season after winning yesterday's return-leg final of the National Rums of Jamaica Top League 2-1 over Preston for a 4-1 aggregate.
Dwayne Brown, in the second minute and the competition's top scorer, Ricardo Howell with his 18th goal in the 13th minute, gave Clark's Town a flying start, knocking the winds from under Preston's sails.
Jermaine Earle pulled one back for Preston from a free kick in the 26th minute.
Clark's Town are now sure of a place in the Western Confederation Super League next season and also collected the National Rums of Jamaica Trophy and the winners prize of $120,000.
THIRD PLACE
Preston pocketed $60,000 while Duanvale, who had lost to Clark's Town in the semi-finals, were declared third place winners and Kinloss finished fourth.
Alrick Kitchener, the winning coach, told The Gleaner after the game his team was never worried at any stage of the game as they had the measure of Preston through the entire season and over both legs of the finals.
Kitchener said that even though they did not play as well as they wanted, especially in a sloppy second half, they had enough to deal with Preston.
Dale Lawkins, who conditioned the Preston team, said they were let down by not thinking their way through.
"We were not thinking the football. We started out by giving up two quick goals, so being four goals down so early it was hard to come back and the brain power never came into play and we were hurrying."
CONSISTENT
He paid due to the winners, saying they had played consistently well all season and deserved the title.
Trailing 2-0 after the first-leg on Wednesday, Preston who had planned to take the game to Clark's Town, were immediately on the back foot when Brown scored a well-taken chance.
The speedy Brown picked up a pin-point pass just on the edge of the penalty box and beat goalkeeper Clayton Ennis to the top left hand side.
Preston should have scored two minutes later when they created two good chances but wasted both efforts.
Howell added to his team's lead in the 13th minute when he managed to scramble the ball over the line after Ennis had blocked his first shot.
Earle pulled one back for his team in the 26th minute when his well struck free-kick flew past the left hand of the diving Rodney Hamilton in the Clark's Town goal.
