Latest News
Lime Hall look to strengthen
January 02, 2024
Life in the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) has been a rude awakening for debutants Lime Hall, who are still to register a win after 12 matches.
The St Ann-based Lime Hall sit at the bottom of the JPL points standing with just four points, and after an eighth defeat against Tivoli on Sunday, coach Vanny Clarke wants to strengthen in January to keep alive their hopes of staying in the league.
Clarke revealed that he has already identified one overseas talent expected to join in the January transfer window. He believes that a bit more quality in the final third and an experienced midfielder can help them to be more competitive.
"We are lacking that extra quality when we get into the final third, so it doesn't matter what we are doing in terms of (team) organisation at the end of the day, we lack that cutting edge, and that is where we are falling short," Clarke said.
"We will be looking in the market. The club does not have massive resources, which makes it more challenging, but we have some targets in mind.
"We have one exciting talent coming in. Hopefully, he can get in gear by the 11th of the month (January). We hope that he can bring some quality.
"We have some others we are looking at. So we are trying to improve the group," he continued.
Critics have lashed Lime Hall for retaining the same squad that took them from the Tier II competition to the JPL. Clarke said Lime Hall are now learning the harsh reality of the league.
"It is difficult to take a team from Tier II with the same set of players and try to incorporate them into this league and perform.
"We find players are making the same mistakes. You will get found out in this league. The guys are learning on the job, but unfortunately, this league is unforgiving," he stated.
Lime Hall have scored six goals and conceded 12, with only four draws; however, Clarke is confident they can generate better results in the second round, with the additional quality.
"The hard work is there, the organisation is there, the concentration is there, but in the middle, we lack that quality as well, so we want to find players who are of the level to make an impression in the league, but it is two-fold because we want to add a little bit of experience.
"We want someone who can lead the middle of the field. At the back, we are decent, but we lack depth and experience in the wide areas at the back.
"The level of the Premier League is rising. It is a league where you want to show the brightest young talent in Jamaica, and we are in the market looking for that.
"So, we need to strengthen and look for quality, and in January, hopefully, we can integrate a few players and get some consistency," he said.
Clarke is Lime Hall's third coach this season. They started the season with David Pryce, who they parted ways with in November. Tier II coach Alfred Barnett served in the interim until Clarke was appointed recently.
