POCKET rocket Kyle Stone popped up with a late extra-time winner to seal the first silverware of the season for North last night. The diminutive youngster began the campaign in perfect fashion to give the Priaulx champions victory against FA Cup winners Sylvans in the Fredric Martinez Cup curtain-raiser at Northfield.

The Westerners took the lead from 12 yards in the 10th minute via inspirational skipper Matt Warren, who found himself with time and space to pick his spot after North’s defence sloppily failed to clear a lofted Matt Seeds free kick into the box.

Stone almost equalised midway through the half after a marauding run from the impressive Darren Martin, who looked sharp all evening, but he skewed his shot wide at the back post.

He came even closer when his corner rebounded to safety off the back post and then was thwarted again by the first of a string of top class saves from an alert Paul de Garis.

North equalised shortly before the break when skipper Ollie McKenzie’s corner was headed on by young Jamie Tolcher to an unmarked Richard Moore to nod home from close range. It was wayward marking that was punished.

Warren failed to appear for the second half as a precaution after tweaking a hamstring and groin.

In his absence North began to dominate proceedings and bossed the midfield with some intricate and incisive short passing throughout the youthful side.

It did not take long for them to capitalise as Moore gave them the lead with another tap-in at the back post after clever work from McKenzie, whose deflected cross looped over de Garis.

The lively Craig Young then skilfully created a chance for himself on the edge of the box but was prevented by an excellent tip-over save by de Garis.

Stone then intercepted a wayward crossfield pass from substitute Tristan Robilliard and shot narrowly wide at the clubhouse end.

Against the run of play, Robilliard delivered in style and made amends as he linked well with Danny Watts before unleashing an unstoppable shot from outside the area to make it 2-2, living up to his nickname ‘Tricky’.

De Garis’s safe hands repeatedly kept North at bay to force the extra half-hour.

New recruit Jamie Ferbrache should have shot them ahead but wasted a one-on-one chance as de Garis again produced heroics to keep out the danger.

But he could do nothing with the game seven minutes away from a penalty shoot-out as Stone latched on to a long hopeful Sam Stables pass, drifted past the last defender and, as he came under pressure, coolly slotted home to send the chocolate-and-blues contingent wild.

North’s assistant coach Carl ‘Toots’ Bush believed it had been a hard-fought game which was scrappy at times and suggested his side deserved to win in both 90 minutes and extra-time.

‘I think in the end playing the extra-time showed we are fit enough for the season but some of our concentration at times was sloppy,’ he said.

‘It’s a cup and we want to win everything we go in for. You get more confidence and winning becomes a habit. They are upbeat.’

Sylvans coach Martyn de Garis said: ‘The boys did well and although I’m disappointed with the result I’m very proud of the way they performed against a good North side.

‘The plusses are that Tony Vance [making his comeback aged 37] had 120 minutes and some of the stuff we worked on during the week worked tonight.

‘But we are on our bare bones now with injuries and unavailability,’ he added.