by EZRA STUART AND RENALDO GILKES

NEITHER Arawak Cement Youth Milan nor newly promoted Maxwell will be push-overs in this year's Barbados Football Association's Digicel Premier League.

Youth Milan defeated the favoured Mackeson Brittons Hill 2-1 in the feature match while Maxwell outclassed Silver Sands 2-0 in an all Christ Church encounter, courtesy of a double strike from Shane Cox.

Troy Johnson scored the match-winning goal in the 59th minute when he ran onto a floated right side cross by winger Jason "Fowlie" Blackman and brilliantly volleyed a fierce left footer from about 25 metres, into the far corner.

Milan had taken a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute when six-footer Marlon Greaves capitalised on a defensive blunder and beat goalkeeper Wayne Williams to his left with a left foot shot into the far corner.

Brittons Hill equalised four minutes later when a through ball from midfielder Rondelle Vaughan found Walton Burrowes inside the area and he outfoxed Milan's goalkeeper Adrian Chase by placing it just out of his reach.

The result could have been different but Brittons Hill squandered a number of goal-scoring opportunities with midfielders Bryan Gay and Rondelle Vaughan being the biggest culprits.

Apart from Johnson, Milan's heroes were Chase, who pulled off some timely saves and defender Dwayne Skinner, who surprisingly did not start but came on at half-time to fortify his team's fragile defence.

In the 6 p.m encounter, Maxwell showed little nerves at playing in the big league, as they caused regular havoc in the Silver Sands defence with strikers Kenny Sealy and Cox coming close on many occasions.

The pressure finally paid off when Silver Sands' recent acquistion Jason Sealy fouled Cox in the area and the former National Under-21 marksman calmly slotted in the right corner to give Maxwell the lead in the 40th minute.

Silver Sands had many free kicks around the Maxwell area but failed to trouble the custodian and with skipper Paul Lovell, employed at sweeper, they lacked creativity in the midfield.

To add to their worries, key midfielder Carlos Ward had to be substituted in the 54th minute and rushed to the hospital after colliding with the Maxwell goalkeeper.

Maxwell snatched the game in the 81st minute, through a powerful volley from Cox.