Vere Phoenix targeting experience

As Vere Phoenix United FC's season is hanging by a thread, with the team on the brink of relegation following their 2-1 defeat to Tivoli Gardens FC in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) on Sunday, coach Lenworth Hyde points to inexperience and defensive frailties as their main pitfalls.

Nevertheless, he believes they have learned a lot from the experience, and insists that even if they are relegated they will look to add experience to balance their squad.

"We are the team that gave up the most goals (70) this season and that is why we are where we are. So defensively we are poor and I can put that down to (the fact that) we are inexperienced.

"Most of the players, it is their first time in this league. Most of them are coming out of the Manning Cup," Hyde stated.

"It is a learning process for the team moving forward. We just have to take from it what we learned this season, and if we have to go down and play and come up back, that is what we have to do."

EXPORT PLAYERS

Hyde noted that the main objective of the club is to expose and export players, and that the JPL remains the best outlet for this locally, so their long term goal is to be competitive in the JPL

"Mr (Craig) Butler, the technical director and owner of the club, that's the direction he is taking it. He is now in Europe looking clubs for some of the players," he shared.

"We will continue with the youth but we will have to blend it with some seasoned campaigners.

"We have more players coming from Manning Cup, daCosta Cup, so we just have to continue working with the youth and coach them as best as we can. When they garner some experience and learn they won't make the same mistakes twice," he said.

Vere sit at the foot of the JPL table on 23 points, nine behind second-from-bottom Molynes United, with three games remaining in their season.

In order for the Clarendon team to avoid demotion, they need to win all their remaining matches handsomely.

However, a point for either Molynes United or Humble Lion -- both currently on 32 points -- in their next game would seal Vere's relegation fate.

Nevertheless, Hyde said they will battle until their chance of survival has expired.

"We have to play the last three games and see what we can get out of it. Our next game is against Arnett, at Arnett, so we just have to try motivating them to go out and play. There is no pressure on them now. So in case we are out of the league we have to use the next tier and try to come back up and continue to play football," he commented.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com