Kyle Lightbourne "walked out" on his team immediately following PHC Zebras' December 4 Premier clash with Cougars at the Den, a team source revealed yesterday.

Upset over his team's poor run of form lately and internal turmoil at the Warwick-based club, former English pro Lightbourne decided enough was enough and "stunned" his players after their 2-0 loss to Devonshire Cougars when he quit as Zebras' coach.

Off the record, ex-Coventry City striker Lightbourne vehemently denies ever throwing in the towel.

However, one anonymous team source has painted a completely different story.

"Kyle definitely told the players he was calling it a day before he was eventually persuaded to stay on," he said. "Kyle told the players immediately after the Cougars game that he was leaving.

"Some of the players were in total disbelief and in my opinion it would not have been a good move on Kyle's behalf to walk out on the team during a difficult time like this."

It is understood PHC sports chairman, Mark Wade, who has declined to comment on the matter, was influential in having Lightbourne reconsider his decision to quit.

Lightbourne is currently in his third season as coach at the former Stadium Lane and just months ago coached PHC into the record books as the first Premier club to win ten FA Cups in the history of the 52-year old competition.

He also coached Zebras to a first league title in nearly a decade last season and was deservedly crowned 2007-08 Bermuda Football Association (BFA) Coach of the Year.

Lightbourne's club appeared to pick up where they left off last season by capturing a fifth overall Charity Cup at the beginning of this campaign.

But a string of poor results in the league have completely derailed their title defence and even threatens to keep them out of Premier's Dudley Eve Cup competition which kicks off next Wednesday night at Somerset Cricket Club.

Zebras are away to fellow strugglers Devonshire Colts at Police Field tomorrow where they must win and then rely on other results to go their way if they are to stand any chance of qualifying for the Dudley Eve ¿ a competition named in honour of the father of ex-PHC coach and Bermuda Football Association (BFA) technical committee member Alfie Eve.

Former Zebras defender, Cecil Robinson, believes Lightbourne's decision to resume coaching duties at PHC is the right choice.

"I'm glad he has decided to stick it out because it's not good to bail out when the chips are down," he told The Royal Gazette. "Kyle has always been a fighter, and I knew he will get things back on track."

n Beleagured PHC assistant coach, Jack Castle, has appealed against a club-imposed two -month ban and is now awaiting another chance to go before an appeals committee.

Castle was originally banned for six-months but had his punishment quashed on appeal and ordered to re-appear before a PHC disciplinary hearing.

The ex-Zebras defender is appealing on the grounds he has yet to receive a "fair hearing" to answer allegations of throwing a drink in the face of a senior club official at a Warwick bar on the evening of October 19.