FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Clark’s Town FC has qualified for the Western Confederation Super League for the third time and first since the 2008-09 season, after beating Coopers Pen 3-1 on penalty kicks in their Trelawny Football Association’s Plantation Rum Major League return leg final played at Elleston Wakeland Centre on Sunday.

They are the second team to qualify, joining Reggae Youths of St James, while the champions of Hanover and Westmoreland will also join them.

After a 0-0 draw in the first leg a week earlier, the teams played out a 2-2 draw after regulation and extra- time on Sunday, forcing penalty kicks.

Dhane Johnson who scored both goals for Clark’s Town, converted the winning penalty kick to secure his team’s third Major League title, but was fortunate to still be on the field at the end of the game.

Johnson escaped with a yellow card from referee Daneon Parchment at the end of the first period of extra- time when he hit Christopher Noble in the face with a vicious elbow after the Coopers Pen striker had gotten away.

It was the second loss in a final this season for Coopers Pen, after they were upset in the mid-season final by Spicy Hill after a perfect first two rounds.

The loss spoiled a gallant effort by Coopers Pen’s young goalkeeper Alanzo Bird who suffered a gash under his lower lip when he collided with Clark’s Town Lupton Haughton in the 30th minute. The cut would require stitches, but Bird stayed in the goal. The bandage which covered the nasty wound was changed twice during the game, due to persistent bleeding.

Johnson gave Clark’s Town the lead against the run of play in the 16th minute and then the equaliser in the 68th minute after Coopers Pen got goals in the 19th minute from Andre Palmer and Christopher Nobel in the 21st.

Despite losing to Clark’s Town in their only meeting this season — in the third round — Coopers Pen started as favourites and looked the part as after giving up the first goal, roared back and led 2-1 at half -time.

Coopers Pen had the first scoring chance, in the eighth minute but Shaunavan McKenzie dragged his shot wide of the near left post.

The burly Johnson shot Clark’s Town into the lead when he led a swift counter attack and powered home past Bird at his left near post.

Coopers Pen wasted little time to get back level when Palmer beat Clark’s Town’s goalkeeper Morris Davis from outside the area with a shot into the right corner of the goal.

They were ahead two minutes later when Coopers Pen pursued a ball that appeared to be heading outside and the Clark’s Town defenders relaxed, much to their peril.

A Coopers Pen player chased the ball to the touch line, kept it in play and crossed it to Nobel who rocketed past Davis from close range.

Sloppy defending by Coopers Pen and pressure from Clark’s Town led to Johnson’s second goal, when the striker got past two defenders and volleyed the ball over the advancing Bird into the unprotected goal in the 68th minute.

Johnson should have completed his hat-trick and give Clark’s Town the lead in the 74th minute after getting past Bird on the edge of the 18 yards box but a defender cleared his shot off the line.

Tevin Fisher, who came on as a substitute on the second half of regulation, should have given Coopers Pen the lead and possibly the title late in the first half of extra- time, but he inexplicably hit a rebound from Davis high over the bar from about 10 yards out.

In the penalty shootout, Devroy Campbell, Oral Cunningham and Johnson scored for Clark’s Town, while Haughton’s kick was saved by Bird.

McKenzie was the only successful kicker for Coopers Pen as Rasheed James kicked wide, Cecil Noble hit the bar and Davis saved Lamar Brown’s attempt.