LITTLE LONDON, Westmoreland — Newly promoted Westmoreland Major Football League outfit Sandals Whitehouse will represent the parish in the 2010-2011 All Island Knock-out Championship after a stunning 3-1 penalty kick win against Super League team Russia FC on Thursday at the Bay Road Sports Complex, Little London, Westmoreland, following a 1-1 regulation time tie.

Against the run of play, Russia’s captain Kemar Dawkins put the Savanna-la-mar-based team in front on the half hour from the penalty spot after he was fouled in the box by Darren Rhodes, who earned one of three cautions issued by referee Ali McKenzie.

Dawkins was on the end of a slick four-man combination string on the right that began with Chrishna Morgan passing to Rohan Wilson, who then found Marlon McGrowder to layoff to his captain in a threatening position on the Sandals goal.

The tempo of the match lifted thereafter as Russia capitalised on the advantage and with confidence took the fight to the fighting hoteliers whose success came one minute from the end when the consistently hard-running Steve Morris won a race for the ball deep in the Russia half, wide on the right.

His resulting cross was cleared by the compact Russia defence to 20 yards out from where teammate Heron Hylton’s goalward strike deflected past custodian Ricardo Fuller to tie the contest, played in brilliant sunshine in the first half and in a steady drizzle in the second.

But the late start cancelled any possibility of extra time so spectators were treated immediately to the exciting spectacle of kicker versus goalkeeper — the penalty shootout — in which Fuller saved one but saw his captain and two other teammates miss the target, as Sandals proved the better set of marksmen with the 3-1 result.

“We are happy with this first championship title for the Major League campaign,” declared winning coach Aaron Lawrence. “This is good for the Sandals Group; we worked well, played well in training and it’s a plus for beating a Super League team such as Russia.”

“Eight teams participated in the competition that began on November 28 without a sponsor, but the WFA will pay the entry fee for Sandals in the All-Island Knock-out,” explained assistant general secretary and competitions director of the Westmoreland Football Association (WFA) Devon Maxwell, who presented the winning trophy to coach Lawrence.

“An inventory of clubs is being done to ensure they have a proper structure and so far nine are ready for the Major League which is set to begin January 7, 2011 but we need three more, and may have to look to the Division One if necessary,” Maxwell added.