Seymour aims to keep team in Premier League

(CIFA): Head Coach of Cayman Athletic Sports Club Ernie Seymour believes words of advice from former national football Technical Director Carl Brown has helped set his team’s goals in Cayman Islands Premier League.  Seymour and Cayman Athletic are undefeated three games into the season and share the top of the league table with Roma United after, both teams battled to a close 3-3 draw in week three of the season on Sunday. In the last three seasons, Cayman Athletic has managed to stay in the top flight, albeit in the bottom half of the standings, but Seymour is confident that will change.

“We are looking to be in the top four, not in the bottom four,” Seymour told Caymanfootball.com.

“A lot of people told me that we would come up to the Premier League and go right back down. However, before leaving, Carl Brown told me, don’t go into the Premiership with the boys trying to win it, go in there to stay there; steal points from the big teams and try to stay above the teams at the bottom.

Seymour added “we have done that for three seasons, now this season we are competing for a spot in the top four. The time has come for the boys to start stepping up.”
Cayman Athletic has several players in their late teens and early twenties, including national Under 20 Boys team Captain Matthew Suberan. This season Cayman Athletic has shown a level of maturity not seen in previous seasons, an attribute Seymour said has emerged after difficult seasons.“The boys are maturing some more. Our teams want to compete now, not just stay above the relegation zone. The boys have changed their attitude towards competing in the Premiership.”

The team’s maturity was on full display in round three of the Premier League. Coming from behind to earn a draw against high riding Roma in the top of the table match up.

“Our boys showed character by coming from behind two times in that game, Seymour said. “Young players tend to lose their composure but they didn’t give up.”

Key to the team’s success has been the early season form of striker David Connolly.
He has scored four goals in three games and is the leading goal scorer in the Premier League after three weeks.

While happy with his start, Seymour still expects more.

“It is natural for him to score goals,” Seymour affirmed. “His physical conditioning is not in the position we would like it to be, but his goal scoring continues to be what it was since primary school football.”

Cayman Athletics’ start to the season has sent notice of a possible change of the guard in the Premier League, but the veteran coach cautioned, “It is a long season.”
“We can’t judge right now who will be the outright winner because of how the league has started. Look for power houses like George Town to bounce back in the rounds to come.”

WK 4 Cayman Islands Premier League – Fixtures

Saturday, 11 October 2014:  Cayman Brac Sports Field
Cayman Brac v George Town Sports Club

Sunday, 12 October 2014: T.E Mcfield Sports Centre (The Annex)
5:00 PM Cayman Athletic Sports Club v Sunset
7:00 PM Roma United Sports Club v Scholars International Sports Club
Ed Bush Sports Complex:
7:00 PM Elite Sports Club v Bodden Town Football Club