MAY PEN, Clarendon — Coach Linval ‘Pala’ Wilson is targeting gradual improvement with his Humble Lion team as they look to better last season’s third-place finish in the Red Stripe Premier League.

The central Clarendon outfit is off to a decent start in the new campaign, having rebounded from their opening-day defeat to FC Reno with a three-game unbeaten run — which includes two successive victories.

As a result, Humble Lion are now up to fourth on seven points — just about where Wilson hopes they will be at the end of the first round.

He said: “It’s not the best start. But it’s a good start …and I think it can only get better.”

He added: “The attacking part of our team is just coming back. Some of the players were out on injuries, some were overseas. So we are just trying to stay in the top five, especially in this first round.

“We don’t want to fall below that.”

For the next two rounds, Wilson said the aim is to try and replicate last year’s late-season surge, which took them from the relegation zone into the semi-finals.

“We have the depth — quality players — which gives us more options, especially at the back, so the aim is to try and win the championship.”

In their latest victory, a 1-0 win over defending champions Arnett Gardens on Sunday, Humble Lion had to play the last 51 minutes with 10 men after full-back Gregory Lewis was ejected for a second caution.

It was their third red card in as many matches, which Wilson admits is becoming an issue. But he did praise his team for the manner in which they contained a surging Arnett Gardens with a man disadvantage.

“(It) shows that we have some fight in us,” he said.