Jack Castle has targeted a move to Premier Division newcomers Hamilton Parish in the New Year, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The outspoken coach has severed ties with PHC Zebras, where he is currently serving a two-month ban for disorderly conduct, and is expected to assume duties as Mark Jennings' assistant at Hot Peppers early next month.

Jennings believes Zebras' loss will be Parish's gain.

"I think Jack (Castle) is going to be a good fit and his arrival will bring the best out of our players. Jack is going to bring that old school Harry Redknapp brand of football," he said.

Castle could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The former assistant national coach still awaits the outcome of an appeal against a PHC-imposed ban for throwing a drink in the face of a club executive at a Warwick bar.

Castle was also sacked as assistant national coach earlier this year after falling out with boss Keith Tucker who eventually resigned under pressure at the height of the Island's 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Parish, meanwhile, completed the first-half of the 2008-09 schedule on a winning note at Southampton Oval last Sunday where they came away with a 1-0 win over hosts Southampton Rangers.

Jennings, who succeeded predecessor Meshach Wade as Hot Peppers' coach during the summer months, said he has been encouraged by his team's steady progress over the past few months - but admits there is still room for improvement.

"So far it has been fun and also challenging. But at the end of the day we still have some work to do. This is just the halfway mark and we still have a long way to go.

"I think the guys still need to work together more as a unit and also work a bit more on their fitness," he stressed.

Jennings also challenged his charges to be more consistent in the New Year as they bid for survival in the top flight.

"We are putting the work in but need to be more consistent. We do not have a lot of depth but we do have nice pool of talented players that work hard, which is something I think is going to get us through at the end of the day," he said.

"I want us to be consistent toward the end of the season.

"If we can become more consistent then I think we can retain our status as a Premier team at the end of the season.

"Our guys just need to keep it together and take things one game at a time. We are definitely not the same team we were when we started out in August. We are still growing and developing at a nice pace and each week we just have to come to play and hang in there."

Among those leading the charge at the Crawl Hill-based club are national team 'keeper Nigel Burgess, skipper Kaiya Darrell, top poacher Jamie Smith and veteran defender Neil (Diamond) Robinson, the Premier Division's most senior player.

It was Smith's sole strike at the Oval over the weekend, which earned Parish a third win of the season.

"Jamie has been a great asset for us in terms of putting the ball away," noted Jennings.

"It is also good to have experienced players in the team such as Neil Robinson to help keep the balance.

"A lot of our players haven't been through the adversity that Diamond (Robinson) has been through.

"He has been through a lot during his career and knows how to keep calm and get his younger team-mates through the difficult periods."

Parish just barely missed out of qualifying for the Premier's Dudley Eve Cup, which kicks off tomorrow night at Somerset Cricket Club, after being pipped for the fourth and final spot by Zebras on goal-difference.

Jennings, however, believes his team's Dudley Eve snub could very well be a blessing in disguise.

"At the end of the day the league is our priority; trying to stay up at the end of the season," he insisted.

"Now the guys can have a little break and come back refreshed."