Hyde

With a revamped unit that would have been unrecognisable to anyone who had vacated interest in the DPL for the last two and half rounds, Humble Lion coach Lenny Hyde Sr is eyeing a resurgence he hopes will take them out of relegation, in the process, keeping his reputation intact.

After 22 games in charge, and at no stage able to hold on to a position higher than ninth, things do not reflect well for Hyde. For a coach, who came with a strong Premier League résumé, having won at Portmore, Harbour View and Tivoli, greater things would have been expected, than not just getting out of the relegation zone to be the main priority.

At 29 points, the Effortville-based side sit two points ahead of Benfica who are a mere point better than last-place St Georges.

However, Hyde is adamant the constant struggle to avoid relegation will not define his tenure in the same way it did the previous coach Christopher Bender.

boosting home win

Following his team's morale boosting home win against Tivoli on Sunday, Hyde told Star Sports.

"We have a side that can win games now, and we are looking to win the next six and get into the top six," he said.

It's a proposition that would make the likes of higher ranked Village, Reno, Arnett and Sporting Central smile, each would feel at this point that they are well in the mix to take that safe spot. In previous years, around 45 points have been the benchmark to get into the top six, which make Hyde's objective a tall order.

Significantly, Hyde is banking his chances for a decisive turnaround on the new acquisitions during the January transfer window. The players include Wolry Wolfe and Carlington Smith, Devon Powell, Kevin Lamey and Mark Miller. Wolfe and Smith were shelved by Portmore United at the beginning at the season, but were quickly picked up by another struggling unit, Benfica.

Lamey, who normally plays the role of super sub at his former club, played for a whopping 80 minutes. All five made their debut in the final eleven, the clearest indication that Hyde had no confidence in the bulk of the squad he was given at the outset.

confidence

Carlington Smith

"We were not getting any rhythm and confidence and you can see we got a little of that today," Hyde said about the immediate impact of his new charges.

He would be the first to admit that his side is a far cry from the attractive football he had promised. But they aim to improve. While the Clarendon outfit generally turns in a fighting performance, their play is often too much about hustling, being unable to keep the ball for prolonged periods, that leaves them in a situation where they are always defending.