ARNETT Gardens emerged from the doldrums with a fighting 3-1 penalty shoot-out win over Star Cosmos of St Mary to advance to the second round of the Flow Cup at the Anthony Spaulding Sport Complex on Thursday.

It was the first win for the struggling Digicel Premier League team in 12 matches and it came only after extra-time failed to separate the teams from a 2-2 deadlock at full-time.

Nicholas Dodd, Lamar Nelson and Craig White converted from the spot for Arnett, while Dale Wallace gave Star Cosmos their only success.

Earlier, a brace from Arnett Gardens’ Kevin Wilson in the 33rd and 84th minutes and a goal each from Layton McDonald in the 22nd and Andre Lawson in the 89th for Star Cosmos left the teams deadlocked.

A much-relieved Wayne Fairclough said the victory was a good morale booster. “We have not been winning games for about 12 or so matches and it was a ding-dong battle we had to win. This should now serve as a fillip for our next game against Rivoli United,” he said.

It was a hard-fought victory for Arnett Gardens who struggled to cope with Star Cosmos who surprised them with good, aggressive and organised play which saw the home team falling behind in minute 22 after McDonald had fired past goalkeeper Julian McLeish from inside the area as a result of a blunder from defender Craig White.

White missed timed his kick and the ball then spun away from him into the path of Lawson who gleefully accepted and delivered a pinpoint pass which found an unmarked McDonald who calmly put his team ahead from close up.

Kevin Wilson eventually gave Arnett Gardens the equalising goal in the 33rd minute after the striker buried a left-side cross from Cornel Chin-Sue past goalkeeper Delburt Kissoon from less than six yards.

Wilson produced the go ahead goal in the 84th minute to settle the nerves of his team and bring some amount of relief to the partisan crowd.

But this only served to inspire the visitors to dig deeper and even though they were under constant pressure from their hosts, one minute to full-time remaining White once again failed to clear the ball out of harm’s way and Lawson’s well-directed shot beat McLeish in goal to send the teams into extra time and penalties.

— Hurbun Williams