by EZRA STUART

ST LUCY'S most popular sporting son Norman Forde climaxed his return to the Arawak Cement Youth Milan team with a golden goal, bringing more football glory to the northern parish.

Forde's extra-time goal sealed a 2-1 victory over Paradise in the Banks Knockout Cup final at the National Stadium on Sunday night.

It was the second knockout title for the side from Checker Hall, St Lucy, following their maiden success in 2002, and judging from the way their players and fans celebrated, it seemed even sweeter than their first Premier League triumph in 2006.

The score was locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time after Kenroy Skinner's stunning fourth-minute goal for Youth Milan was cancelled out by a fantastic free-kick by Paradise defender Andre Bourne in the 27th minute.

But Forde, always one to produce magical moments, sealed the match in the first minute of extra time.

He pounced on the loose ball in the area after a mis-kick by Skinner and squeezed a low left-foot shot under the body of goalkeeper Jason Boxill.

Afterwards, the tiring Youth Milan players found renewed energy and desperately defended to deny Paradise's three-pronged strike attack of Mustafa Haqq, Jamal Chandler and substitute Shane Callender.

Another Paradise substitute, Cody Mark, made some neat outlet passes in midfield to the flanks but Dwayne "Ticky" Skinner, the player of the game, marshalled the Milan backline with solid support from the hard-working Travis Hinds and Ryan Griffith and little Ricardo Cyrus.

Earlier, Skinner gave Milan a perfect start when he picked up a pass from Forde on the right side after the ball was played into the centre by winger Jermaine Boyce.

Skinner took two steps forward and, with Bourne stalking him, swept in what looked like an opportunistic cross but the ball sailed over the head of Boxill and crashed into the far corner of the nets.

Boxill had another anxious moment as a long-range shot from midfielder Ramuel Miller bounced out of his hand before danger was averted.

Paradise got the equaliser after Haqq was fouled just outside the area. Bourne stepped up and hit a scintillating 20-yard shot which tore a hole in the nets as the ball sped past a static goalkeeper Adrian Chase to his left.

Forde had been kept relatively quiet, going down on almost every challenge by a Paradise player, with referee Rayon Small waving play-on repeatedly. But he almost produced a goal on the stroke of half-time out of nothing.

He turned sharply to his left just outside the penalty area and clipped the ball onto the crossbar with Boxill beaten.

In the second half, the fleet-footed Paradise pair of Chandler and Haqq repeatedly eluded their markers but lacked the clinical finish.

Chandler's best chance came when he slipped through the centre of the Milan defence but with only Chase to beat, inexplicably lashed his shot wide of the right upright.

Haqq was too late in getting on the end of a ball played across the Milan goalmouth, while Callender, after out-pacing the defence and with the advancing Chase in virtual no-man's land, fizzled a weak shot.

Troy Johnson replaced Shane Hinds in the Milan midfield and made a solid contribution as Antonio Griffith dropped back into a more defensive role.

Johnson even had a chance to score but pushed the ball too far ahead, allowing Boxill to snare it from his boots.

At the other end, Chase had to parry a stinging shot from Chandler for a corner before cutting down the angle and forcing Haqq to push his shot wide.

"The feeling is very great. This one is for all my fans in St Lucy, all my fans at the Stadium and most of all for "Crusher" [Ronald Cumberbatch], former Youth Milan fan, a dedicated man," an emotional Chase said amid victory celebrations.

"It was a hot and cold season but in the end the fellows knew what we had to do and we pulled through.

"I wanted this (title) more than anything in the world. It was a lot of team work and a lot of effort. My guys put in 150 per cent," added the Milan captain.

"This is one of my good times - [along with] when we won the Cup in 2002 and 2006," he said.

New Premiership champions Mackeson Brittons Hill, despite fielding a weakened line-up, defeated PiratesTavern Silver Sands 3-2 to clinch third place.

Omar Archer (eighth) and Adrian Davis (17th) gave Brittons Hill a 2-0 lead, but Jarvis Forde (35th) and Lloyd Wilkinson (36th) equalised for Silver Sands before Anthony Cumberbatch (76th) scored the winner for Brittons Hill.