MAY PEN, Clarendon — Humble Lion FC are hoping to surpass last season’s third-place finish in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL). But before they can replicate that feat, Coach Linval ‘Pala’ Wilson is desperate to get one thing right this season: their start.

“Getting a good start is very important this season,” said Wilson.

“We want to be one of the front-runners. We want to be in the mix from the start so that we can give ourselves a cushion going into the second and third rounds.”

Last term, the central Clarendon side struggled for form early in the campaign, sitting in the relegation zone for the entire first round, and needed a last-gasp effort plus a change of coach (from Craig Butler to Donovan Duckie) to clinch a top-four finish.

They eventually lost their semi-final tie (4-3 on aggregate) to eventual champions Arnett Gardens.

Wilson said the overarching vision this year is to top that performance. And that, he said, is the main reason why they have bolstered their squad with experience rather than youth.

“One of our problems last season is that we lacked depth,” noted Wilson. “We had some good players, but this season we have quality all over. We have about 25 players who can come in any time and give us the same level of intensity. So the expectation is much bigger this season, and we are definitely going to try and win the title.”

Humble Lion will open their RSPL campaign on Sunday against Reno FC at the Frome Sports Club in Westmoreland.

Wilson said his troops are raring to go.

“We are ready,” he said. “We had a good pre-season and we are looking to transfer that to the competition, starting on Sunday.”

“Reno,” he added, “is a team that always starts well, and they are playing at home so we are expecting a tough game. But, as things stand, we are going down there with a point and the aim is not to leave empty-handed.”

— Oshane Tobias