Dandy Town coach Kyle Lightbourne will put his PHC Zebras connections aside when the sides square off in the Friendship Trophy final at Somerset Cricket Club tomorrow

The former PHC forward honed his skills as a youngster at the club and helped them clinch league and cup honours under the late Leroy “Nibs” Lewis before embarking on a professional career in England.

“It’s always a strange occasion for myself being up against PHC, a club that I love dearly,” said Lightbourne, who took over from Scott Morton at Town at the start of the season.

“I have so many friends and family history involved throughout the years with that club, but you have to do the job that’s being asked of you.”

PHC coach Quincy Hunt is looking forward to renewing rivalries with his former coach on the sidelines.

“I played under Kyle so I know him personally as a player and a friend,” Hunt said. “It’s just like another game.”

Although Dandy Town hold a psychological edge heading into the final, having inflicted a 3-0 defeat on PHC in the Premier Division at Goose Gosling Field this month, Lightbourne is expecting a different contest this time around.

“The previous game we beat PHC, but it’s a whole different ball game,” said Lightbourne, a former Stoke City and Walsall player. “This is a tournament that PHC have won quite a bit. They have more players to pick from than they did in the previous game, so we are expecting a tough game. I’m not worried about what happened in the past. I just want to put in a good performance on the day.”

Dandy Town, making their thirteenth Friendship Trophy final appearance, are on a high, having not lost a match since their 1-0 league defeat to North Village on October 6.

“The players have really just been going from strength to strength, pulling together,” Lightbourne said. “We have to keep our finger on the pulse, keep asking for more because we are going to have our ups and downs. The vibe among the players is really good, and hopefully on the day we show up and give it our best shot. If we lose, as long as we’ve given our best, that’s what I’m looking for.”

Hunt believes the teams are evenly matched and emphasised the importance of respecting the opposition.

“Dandy Town is the in-form team right now, so there are no favourites to win this match,” he said. “They’ve only lost one game recently so we have to respect them and be prepared.”

PHC are gunning for a third straight Friendship Trophy title and an unprecedented fifteenth overall in what will be a record 22nd final appearance.

“That’s what you play football for, to be in a final and play for a trophy,” Hunt added. “The game is played on the day. We just have to be prepared the best we can and hope for the best.”

Lightbourne said his Town players are eager to secure a fifth Friendship Trophy title and their first in three seasons.

“Obviously, I’m excited to make it to the final with Dandy Town, which is a big achievement when you come to a new club, taking time to settle in and get used to the players, and them getting used to me,” he said.

PHC have been plagued by injuries, with captain Daren Usher, Jahiem Iris, and Keishon Bean among the casualties.

“We have changed our team every week since the season started,” Hunt said. “We haven’t had a steady line-up all season, so we’ve had to chop and change due to injuries.”

Usher remains doubtful, meaning midfielder Kadeem Abraham may continue leading the team on the pitch.

“It’s a race against the clock, but it’s looking more likely I’ll be sidelined,” Usher said.

Lightbourne doesn’t anticipate making many changes to his line-up.

“We have a settled team, and I’m not anticipating too many changes,” he said. “We haven’t made too many changes over the last two months.”