LUCEA, Hanover — Renaldo Jowehill scored with his first touch a minute after entering the game as a substitute in extra time to lead Grand Palladium to their first Hanover Football Association Charlie’s JB Rum/Captains Bakery and Grill Major League title after beating former champions Sandy Bay FC 1-0 at Watson Taylor Park on Sunday.

It was Grand Palladium’s second-straight trip to the final and they duly redeemed themselves after a 5-1 thrashing from Bamboo FC last year. Grand Palladium have gained promotion to the Western Confederation Super League next season.

In the first game of the double-header, St Simon United beat Esher United 2-1 to win the Captain’s Bakery & Grill Ltd Division One final as both teams earned promotion to the Major League next season.

Jerome Locke in the 12th minute and Shanderpaul Williams in the 32nd gave St Simon the lead at half-time, while Renaldo Diaz pulled one back for Esher United in the 77th minute.

Both games were played in sweltering heat which affected the quality of the game, and while the first half of the Major League game was played at a pedestrian pace with little or no scoring chances, the second half was significantly better, with Grand Palladium taking the initiative and putting Sandy Bay under pressure for long periods.

Sandy Bay created the only real scoring chance in the first half, but goalkeeper Ansani Donalds, who was playing with an injured hand, pulled off a brilliant save in the 27th minute to keep his team level.

Donalds went low to his right to turn a shot from Recordo Collins around the post for a corner, but ended up injuring himself when he crashed into the metal post.

Grand Palladium got off to a fast start in the second half and created a number of good chances, but wayward finishing, especially by Davion Smith, almost cost them.

Smith got by Sandy Bay’s veteran goalkeeper Wade Duncan in the 50th minute, but with the goal at his mercy, he shot high over the bar.

He got another clear chance at goal five minutes later, but dragged his shot wide. In the 58th minute Duncan demonstrated his experience by saving a powerful close-range header from Andre Reid who had ventured forward from central defence.

Sandy Bay had a rare chance at the Grand Palladium goal, but Derrick Hall kicked high over the bar with just Donalds to beat.

Smith was sent through in the 68th minute by the hard-working Kadian Griffiths, but he hesitated and was hustled off the ball by a defender before he was able to shoot at goal.

Duncan almost gifted Grand Palladium a goal in the 84th minute when he misplayed a free kick from Griffiths and the ball hit him in the chest, flew over his head and over the crossbar.

After playing out a goal-less draw in regulation time, Jowehill replaced Smith in the 96th minute and Griffiths found him on the left side with a perfectly weighted pass, and he lifted the ball over the head of the advancing Duncan and into the goal.