MONTEGO BAY, St James — Wadadah FC were crowned champions of the Jamaica Football Federation Captain’s Bakery and Grill Western Confederation Super League after defying Reno FC on penalty kicks in a pulsating and anti-climactic final at Jarrett Park on Sunday.

After a 2-2 aggregate over both legs of the finals, Wadadah won 5-4 on penalty kicks to qualify for the Jamaica Football Federation Premier League qualifying series that gets under way this weekend for a shot at returning to the National Premier League next season.

This was the second straight penalty shoot-out win for Wadadah after they had advanced to the finals after beating mid-season champions Tomorrow’s People by the same route in the semi-finals. For at least the fourth straight season in the Western Super League, the team winning the mid-season finals has failed to go on to win the title.

In a dramatic second half on Sunday, Wadadah came back from a 0-1 first-leg deficit to lead 2-0, then saw goalscorer Levardo Whyte sent off after getting his second yellow card before Reno scored in stoppage time to force extra time.

Whyte had scored in the 49th minute to level the scores before Damiane Reid gave them the lead in the 82nd minute, setting the stage for Craig Foster to score in the second of three minutes added on.

An “elated” Wadadah coach Daniel ‘Cup head’ Ricketts said after the game they were dedicating the title to their main sponsor, who was celebrating his birthday on Sunday.

Looking ahead, he said: “Montego Bay needs a second Premier League team, we have six games to go and we know it won’t be easy and the work is not yet over.”

Ricketts added that the players had dropped their heads after Whyte got sent off in the 85th minute and Reno scored in time added on to level the aggregate scores, but he said he had to remind them what was at stake.

Michael Graham, who came within minutes of giving Reno a shot at an immediate return to the Premier League, was a dejected man, saying the players “strayed from the game plan and even when we had the one-man advantage we never made use of it”.

Graham, who engineered a late rally to take Reno to the finals, said he had no doubt the players could have staged a comeback after giving up two goals.

Trailing 0-1 from the first leg played a week earlier, Wadadah were the more urgent at the start, earning four corners in the first four minutes, as Andy Johnson just missed with a volley in the second minute.

A mistake by Reno’s goalkeeper Omario Hendricks in the 49th minute led to the first Wadadah goal when he failed to hold on to a free kick from Johnson, and Whyte reacted first, slamming home the ball from close range.

Curtis Palmer could have added another with his first touch after replacing Demar Dohman in the 63rd minute, but with only Hendricks to beat, blasted the ball high over the goal.

Reno were not out of the game, however, and Ronario Downswell just failed to score in the 71st minute when he caught the entire Wadadah defence by surprise, turning and shooting only to see the ball hit the crossbar on its way out.

Reid put Wadadah firmly in front in the 82nd minute when his header flashed past Hendricks, and the large pro-Wadadah crowd started celebrating.

Their celebrations were put on hold, at least temporarily, when Whyte picked up a second yellow card after he kicked away the ball after referee Kevin Morrison had blown the play dead. His first yellow came after he removed his shirt while celebrating his goal.

Reno made full use of their advantage in time added on when Foster caught the Wadadah defence napping and gave goalkeeper Tristan Bernard no chance with a well taken goal from a ball that beat both central defenders.

The Westmoreland team, however, failed to break down a dogged Wadadah in the two extra time periods and one miss in the shoot-out sealed their fate.

Alex McFarlane, Steven Irving, Palmer, Loxley Thomas and Shaunovan Wilson scored for Wadadah, while Obrian Woodbine, Delano Rankine, Melvin Blair and Craig Foster scored for Reno, with Jashane Foster having his kick saved.