MONTEGO BAY, St James — Former Jamaica Premier League campaigners Faulkland FC began their journey back to the top after defeating Reggae Youths 2-1 in the St James Football Association/Sandals Resorts Major League final at Jarrett Park on Saturday.

A Ewan Barton goal in the second-half stoppage time took Faulkland to their second major league title. The victory carries Faulkland to the qualifying rounds of the Jamaica Football Championship, set to start this weekend.

It was back-to-back final losses for Reggae Youths after disappointment against Flanker FC at the same stage last season.

After their semi-final win over Montego Bay Boys Club earlier in the week, Gregory Palmer, coach of Faulkland FC, had told the Jamaica Observer that the plan was return to the Jamaica Premier League.

The first stop, he had said then, was to get back to the championship, the qualifying competition for the island’s top club competition.

“We are not looking to just win the major league — the aim must be to get back to the premier league,” Palmer had noted.

The parish of St James has not had a team in the championship for the past four years.

“We are here to fill that gap by getting a team back in the championship. If it was up to me, we would have more than one St James team playing at that level so this is our aim — not just to play in the final but to get to the [championship] and then try to make it to the premier league,” Palmer reiterated.

On Saturday, Jelani Nicholson gave Faulkland the lead when he scored in the 23rd minute but Romaine Lewis drew Reggae Youths level in time added at the end of the first half.

Barton scored the winner in the dying embers of the match when he headed past goalkeeper Jkwan Kenton.

In the third-place play-off Montego Bay Boys Club defeated 10-man Heights FC 3-1.

Lesburn Harvey gave Boys Club the lead in the 21st minute and Aleko Miller made it 2-0 in the 65th.

Omell Forbes pulled a goal back for Heights in the 73rd minute.

Keno Gram, however, restored Boys Club’s two-goal lead in the 90th minute.

Heights FC were forced to play with only 10 men for most of the second half, after Donovan Carey was sent off in the 65th minute.

— Paul A Reid