Kyle Lightbourne notched his 33rd goal of the season from a hotly-disputed penalty in the 73rd minute as PHC finally ended a sequence of losses in the FA Cup final to replace Boulevard as league and FA Cup champions yesterday at the National Stadium.

Blustery conditions marred this 37th final as both teams found it difficult to string passes together in the strong gale.

Still, there was plenty of drama to absorb as Troy Durham of Dandy Town was sent off after the match and two players had to go to hospital for treatment before and after Lightbourne's second-half winner.

The clincher came when Town substitute Pernell Douglas appeared to use his right hand to hold back Sammy Swan just before goalkeeper Randy Darrell made a challenge on the striker.

Referee Esten Curtis, who later confirmed that the penalty was awarded for the foul by Douglas as he and Swan battled for possession, drew protests from Dandy Town players when he pointed to the spot.

And after what seemed an eternity to settle the ball, Lightbourne placed his spot-kick to the left of Darrell, who started a protest only after the whistle shad blown.

Town, despite threatening in the opening minutes through Carlos Smith, Paul Cann and Lionel Cann, fell behind as early as the ninth minute when midfielder Sheridan completed a good move, which had been started by full-back Simmons.

After a Swan corner was only half-cleared, Simmons played a short pass forward to Winston Trott whose vicious drive beat a diving Darrell but came off the far upright. But Ming was ever alert and promptly turned the rebound into the open goal.

Things went from bad to worse for Town after that as Darrell began to look more and more suspect with high crosses from the left, which were held up by the swirling wind. Town's most threatening attacking player, Carlos Smith, intercepted a Stovell back-pass in the 28th minute and 'keeper Ty Williams, whose handling in the first half was flawless, blocked the shot for a corner.

Then, Lionel Cann just failed to connect with a header at the far post.

PHC had an injury scare in the 31st minute when Mike Dill was struck in the face by the ball from a Lionel Cann cross on the left and went crashing to the ground like a heavyweight boxer. "I don't know what happened,'' Dill said afterwards, adding that he was unconscious.

In the few minutes remaining before the half it was Town who began to suffer most, as a Troy Durham body challenge on Swan in the 36th minute earned him the first booking of the match and then his central defensive partner, Wayne Campbell, went down with a hamstring pull in the 40th minute to be carried off and taken to hospital for treatment. He returned to watch the second half.

Pernell Douglas, dropped from last weekend when he played in midfield, came off the bench to replace Campbell alongside Durham and sweeper Neil Paynter.

Durham tested his luck with another foul on Swan in the 44th minute and got off with a brief lecture.

Then, right on half-time Smith curled a ball behind the PHC defence, which just beat the sliding Lionel Cann in front of goal as the ball went past the far post.

Paul Cann and Mike Dill both came out in the second half with their hamstrings wrapped up as right from the kick-off it was Town doing the attacking with Williams now having problems with the wind.

Smith got off a shot from the right side, which came off Mike Dill and went into the side-netting for a corner in the 47th minute.

Paul Cann then netted a surprise equaliser as he received a short corner on the left and attempted to cross to the back post. But when the ball had reached the middle of the area a violent gust turned it goalward and a mystified Williams could barely get a hand onto it, sending Town into rapture.

Lionel Cann continued to waste good chances when he scooped a shot over the bar from a move that involved Dyer and Paul Cann and then the youngster put a screamer past the near post following a move down the left.

Town were now pulling the strings as PHC replaced left-back Anthony Stovell with youngster Stanton Lewis in the 58th minute.

Town made their second substitution 10 minutes later when Ricky Mallory replaced Lionel Cann, and after Lightbourne put them back in front with his first goal at National Stadium, Winston Trott was replaced by older brother Michael after still feeling the effects of a clash of heads with Burton Bruce.

After sitting on the bench for five minutes Trott was taken to hospital as the St. John's Ambulance Brigade volunteers were kept busy.

Williams protected the PHC lead by coming off his line to save at the feet of Smith in the 78th minute. A scratch mark on the top corner of the southern goal will remind Mallory how close he came to equalising for Town, as his firm shot in the 80th minute grazed the corner of the post and crossbar.

Another substitute, Lewis, caused Darrell problems with his free kick 10 yards into the PHC half that was assisted by the wind as Darrell was forced the scramble the ball over the top after the first bounce.

The match ended with a red card for Durham for swearing at Curtis after Paul Cann had kicked the ball out of the ground upon hearing the final whistle .

Astwood was the other Town player booked, for a foul in the first half on Swan.

PHC: T.Williams; S.Simmons, A.Stovell (S.Lewis, 58 mins), M.Dill, B.Simons; K.Dill, F.Ming, S.Ming; K.Lightbourne, S.Swan, W.Trott (M.Trott, 74 mins).

Dandy Town: R.Darrell; B.Bruce, W.Rudo, W.Campbell (P.Douglas, 42 mins), T.Durham, N.Paynter; G.Dyer, V.Astwood, P.Cann; L.Cann (R.Mallory, 68 mins), C.Smith.

Men of the match: Shawn Simmons (PHC); Neil Paynter (Dandy Town).

Referee: Esten Curtis.

IT'S OUT OF YOUR HANDS -- Dandy Town goalkeeper Randy Darrell scrambles for possession after a three-man collision that included PHC's Sammy Swan, left, and Pernell Douglas. But referee Esten Curtis, background, already has the whistle in his mouth to signal the hotly-disputed penalty, which decided the match.

IT'S THERE -- Kyle Lightbourne signals the goal that gve PHC their first FA Cup victory since 1980.