PORTMORE United head coach Linval Dixon is keen on bolstering his squad ahead of the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) season, expected to start at the end of the summer.

Five-time champions of the Premier League, Portmore, were unceremoniously demoted from the nation’s top-flight football a season ago. But they made a hasty return after crowning themselves South Central Confederation winners and topping the Jamaica Football Federation All-Island Confed Play-offs.

Amidst a miserable RSPL campaign in 2013-14, there were charges of faltering infrastructure and player indiscipline at the club, which saw the St Catherine-based team being shoved through the exit door.

Dixon told the Jamaica Observer that player acquisition is now high on the agenda, but questioned the availability of high-calibre local players.

“We have to assess what we need to achieve this time around and if we need to get some players. Playing in the top league, the Premier League, you need to have good-quality players to sustain and to carry you for the nine months.

“But looking at it again, where can you get players? Most players will stick with their Premier League teams, but we will definitely search and hopefully we can find some young players and build them as we go along. It’s a tough road, but we are ready for the challenge,” he said after his team thrashed York United 5-0 in the final fixture of the All-Island Play-offs at Spanish Town Prison Oval on Sunday.

He drew attention to the distinguished history of Portmore — formerly known as Hazard United — and is optimistic that the club will return to its former glory.

“It’s really a tough league to play in, but Portmore are accustomed and, with five championships, they know what it takes. We hope we don’t make the same mistakes we made that season that had us relegated. We will definitely get ourselves ready,” Dixon said.

Portmore ended unbeaten in the All-Island Play-offs with 14 points. University of the West Indies (UWI), who joined Portmore in the 2015-16 RSPL, finished with nine points, while York United had seven and Savannah SC ended with two.

In home-and-away fixtures, Portmore recorded 2-0 and 4-1 victories over Savannah. York suffered a 0-1 loss at their base in St Thomas before conceding five second-half goals during the routing on Sunday.

UWI were the only team to escape Portmore’s wrath, holding on to 1-1 and 0-0 results.

Dixon was pleased to complete the six games in undefeated fashion.

“We must give the guys credit for the kind of effort and the work that they put in for the entire season, so congrats to them,” he said.

— Sanjay Myers