FOOTBALL affiliates in Clarendon believe the balance of power between the parish's two Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) teams is shifting rapidly towards Humble Lion.

The sides meet today at the Effortville Community for the fourth time in all competitions this season, with Humble Lion holding bragging rights over Sporting Central Academy.

Lenny Hyde's side scored convincing victories in the last two Clarendon derbies and are also eight points and four places better than Sporting after 25 RSPL games.

"It's obvious that there's a shift," said former Sporting coach Vassell Reynolds. "It's not only showing in the number of players they continue to attract, but also in the standings."

Added Jamalco coach Garfield Carney: "Financially, Humble Lion seem to be more stable than Sporting and for the past three years they have been able to attract better players."

"I don't think that there's a total shift because people still love Sporting's youthful, energy and exciting style of play, but - in terms of what's happening now - there's definitely a swing," Monymusk coach Doen Mullings told the Sunday Observer.

Humble Lion are only in their third season of top-flight football, but seemed to have adjusted quicker to life in the premiership than Sporting, who have been competing since 2007.

They spent their first two seasons battling relegation - during which time they qualified for the Flow Champions Cup final and also changed coaches twice - but appear to have now established themselves as a staple in the RSPL.

For most of this season, they have occupied a place in the top-half of the 12-team standings and are the best road team in the league.

"Financial stability is the main reason for the shift," former Humble Lion defender Delroy 'Rumba' Greene surmised. "Players are much more comfortable at Humble Lion because they know that they can, at least, look forward to a pay cheque."

Unlike Humble Lion, Sporting have taken instructions from six different coaches during their five-year Premier League sojourn, qualified for a mid-season final, but - except for their first season - are perennial relegation contenders.

They are presently seven points above the drop zone in ninth, but with the departure of some key players in the January transfer window and an ongoing internal power struggle hanging over their heads, another relegation run-in seems almost inevitable.

"I think Humble Lion have a better management structure and we can't compete with them in terms of fans," said ex-Sporting captain Marlon Allen, who is now the coach of Major League side Four Paths.

"The community alone at Effortville can full the park," he added. "Sporting is not a community team, so Brancourt is kind of a hard to reach venue. I don't know exactly what it is, but they (Humble Lion) are definitely doing something right."

Before this season, the battles between the sides have been pretty even. In the 2009-10 campaign, Sporting welcomed Humble Lion into the league with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Brancourt, but the next three games end in stalemates.

Humble Lion would, however, returned the favour last season - thrashing Sporting 3-0 in the parish KO final, before winning the last of their four premiership meetings 2-1, with the previous three games ending in ties.

In the three meeting so far this term, Humble Lion hold the advantage with two wins to Sporting's one, and Greene, who played for the Effortville side in the mid to late 1980s said: "It's not that they are necessarily playing better football, but the players are more comfortable and that's the major difference between struggling teams and teams at the top.

"They have also been lucky in some of their games this season, and sometimes you do need a bit of luck."

Reynolds, in the meantime, reckons the length of Humble Lion's dominance will be dependent on how well they plan for the future.

"I would like to see them thinking more about sustainability now," he said, "start to plan for the future by developing a good youth programme".

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