AFTER a stunning run to the Jamaica Premier League final last season, Dunbeholden FC appear fully aware of the heightened expectations as they open their 2022-23 Jamaica Premier League football campaign against Humble Lion FC on Sunday.

Kick-off is set for 5:00 pm at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex in south St Andrew.

The St Catherine-based team, not among the traditional big clubs in Jamaica, was outstanding last season before slipping at the last stage in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Harbour View FC.

Dunbeholden Assistant Coach Ricardo Smith told Jamaica Observer the bar has been raised since that historic feat.

“The players are just excited right now to get into this new season. There’s a blood rush and exciting feeling for everybody because the last season was a great one.

“For a team like Dunbeholden — relatively unknown — to reach the final of the top competition in the country we know people are looking to see if we can replicate or even go beyond that success,” he said.

He predicts that the Humble Lion challenge will be similar to others throughout the season.

“We know people will be gunning for us, and for the players I know there’ll be a little nerve knowing people want to see if last season was a sham or a fluke. I know what they are capable of doing and the senior players are really pulling the entire team together.”

At the end of last season Dunbeholden lost top marksman Atapharoy Bygrave, who transferred to Ho Chi Minh City FC in Vietnam. Two other key players, Demario Phillips and Shaquille Dyer, have since joined local rivals Mount Pleasant Academy.

But they brought in a few players, including the former Waterhouse FC pair of Cardel Benbow and Ricardo Thomas, giving Smith the confidence that Dunbeholden can more than hold their own this season.

“Bygrave is a big loss because he was top goalscorer in the competition last season and was doing well the season before as well. We have made additions, and these are people who can live up to that level or probably do better. These acquisitions are experienced players who have been in and around this league and they have fitted in well,” he said.

Humble Lion Head Coach Andrew Price is also optimistic of his team shining this season. The Clarendon-based club had a horrendous start last campaign but gelled well toward the back end of the preliminary stage and only narrowly missed getting one of the top six play-off berths.

“We finished last season on a high note — in the last round we accumulated 19 points and we just missed out on a play-off spot by one goal. Our expectation is to get into that play-off spot this season,” Price told the Observer.

Despite losing Odane Murray and Leonardo Jibbison to Mount Pleasant the veteran football coach said the squad remains a solid one. The addition of Rushane Sharpe, who was previously at Waterhouse, fortifies his view.

“We haven’t done a lot of shopping but we believe with the players we have, we can be competitive. We lost Murray and Leonardo Jibbison but otherwise [from that] we have kept our blend so we can use that familiarity and camaraderie that we have.

“We have a combination of youth and experience. We have some players who have experience playing in the Premier League and have won the Premier League at other clubs,” Price explained.

– Sanjay Myers

SUNDAY’S GAMES

1:00 pm — Mount Pleasant vs Faulkland @ Drax Hall Complex

3:00 pm — Vere vs Tivoli Gardens @ Wembley Centre of Excellence

3:15 pm — Portmore vs Montego Bay @ Drax Hall Complex

5:00 pm — Humble Lions vs Dunbeholden @ Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex

7:30 pm — Waterhouse vs Molynes @ Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex

MONDAY’S GAMES

5:00 pm — Chapelton Maroons vs Harbour View @ Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex

7:30 pm — Cavalier vs Arnett Gardens @ Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex