Racing United coach Patrick keeps faith despite three-game JPL slide
Racing United head coach Anthony Patrick says he is keeping a level head, even as his side has dropped three Jamaica Premier League (JPL) matches on the trot in pursuit of a debut play-off berth.
The Gregory Park outfit has collected only one point from its last four outings, but still needs just two points from its final two fixtures to lock down a play-off spot. Their most recent stumble came Sunday, when reigning champions Cavalier FC put two unanswered goals past them.
Racing United sit fifth on the JPL table with 56 points, a single point clear of Cavalier. Former champions Montego Bay United FC top the standings on 71.
Patrick believes refereeing decisions have hurt his team during the slump. "I think in the last two games the officiating got the better of us," he said. "We gave up two early goals that are really offside goals, and from there on the players just dropped their heads, because there was no spark, no energy. But I am just trying to get them in that grove to go forward in our remaining matches, and also for the play-offs as well."
The coach also pointed to a goal drought, with frontline players Nickyle Ellis and Tajay Grant unable to convert in recent weeks.
"In our last five games we have not been scoring and that is a major concern for us, because when you see Nickyle Ellis and Tajay Grant not getting on the scoresheet, as they did last, it is tough for us," Patrick said. "But I am hopeful that we can get some goals from other players in the squad, because we used to get one or two other players, and that is still not coming. But we are not in panic mode, and so we just regroup and look at the positive aspects of our game."
The veteran tactician singled out poor second-half showings and a thin bench as further blows this season.
"I think the second half of our games have been a problem for us because we have not been playing well after the half-time break; and so I don't know what is happening, if it is tiredness," he said. "Our squad is not as deep as some of the other teams in the competition. We have a lot of schoolboys and other players that we took from the Division One league in St Catherine, so the experience and exposure is not there, so we are going to fix it and move forward."
Syndicated from Jamaica Gleaner · originally published .