Storm 5 (2) Arsenal 5 (1)

Storm coach Andrew Bascome hailed both sides that contested the Island Soccer League (ISL) final on Saturday night after his club became the first to win the title twice in league history.

Bascome's men defeated Arsenal in a dramatic 2-1 penalty shoot-out final at the National Sports Centre.

Coming from two goals down in the opening phase of the match, the champions got three goals from speedy striker Domico Coddington to even the game at 5-5, and the same player was on target in the shoot-out.

Bascome, who has guided the side to their two final wins (2008, 2010) and their third successive final, was pleased with the how both sides played throughout the 70 minutes, and in particular the coaching of Arsenal's John Barry Nusum.

"It was a good game," said Bascome. "John Barry is a good coach and taught his team how to play the game well.

"He has experience in the game and in the beginning it started out difficult for us.

"We settled down after the first minutes once we realised we had to work,.

"It's not about your talent when it comes down to a game like this, and Domico knew that as well as Kwame (Steede)."

Arsenal had the better of the exchanges early on and it was skipper Ijahmon Mallory who opened up the scoring midway through he first half, before Ralph Bean jr. made it 2-0 shortly afterwards.

Coddington responded for Storm to bring them within one, but Cecoy Robinson re-established the two-goal cushion for Arsenal.

Not to be outdone, Coddington drew the sides level at 3-3.

However, as the game and Storm's post-season run had been throughout, they would concede seconds after levelling with Michael Parsons putting Arsenal back in front going into the half.

Fabian Frankson put Arsenal up again by two at 5-3 but Steede then put his stamp on the game with a brace to even matters 5-5 at the end of regulation.

With no goals in the extra period that only need one to determine the winner, the match was decided on the dreaded shoot-out.

Opposed to normal penalty shoot-outs, it was the first team to miss loses and for a long stretch it seemed as if both teams would be deadlocked, with Cornell Castle jr. and Coddington both scoring the first for their respective sides, while the next three rounds went without a goal.

The telling blow was struck by Cecoy Robinson, who put his effort wide of the mark, leaving Otis Minors the chance to win it for Storm if he could keep his composure.

And he did just that, planting his effort into the net, ending a dramatic and highly entertaining final.

Bascome noted that the match was destined to be decided on a mistake or a glimpse of magic, with the winners always going to be the side who were more determined.

"Going into extra-time we knew it was going to come down to who got the first chance. I noticed we had the kick-off and told Domico that it is important that we capitalise early because our rotation was that deep, being down a man.

"In this type of game you have to be deserved of the victory because they worked just a hard as we did to get to this point, and you can see by their reaction to the loss that they put in the work as well and felt they deserved it."