Psychological change yields goals for East

After scoring a mere six goals for his club in the Red Stripe Premier League last season, almost half of what he scored the previous year, Javon East knew he had to make a change as he prepared for the current campaign.

In his introspection, the Calabar High School past student made several psychological adjustments and he is his reaping the dividends, having scored 13 times for Portmore United this season.

East's prolific form has placed him in contention to win the Golden Boot Award, as he is four goals behind leader Craig Foster of Humble Lion and three behind Fabian Reid of Arnett Gardens FC.

"In the off-season, I look at what I was doing and I realised that I wasn't focussed," East said. "I came into preseason late and I wasn't putting in the necessary work."

BLOCKED OUT

He said his poor form in training caused him not to convert simple chances on the field.

"When I would miss a chance, I would come down on myself and it would cause me to miss other chances too. Then people start to say things and that affect me too," East said.

But those miseries are now behind the 23-year-old. He turned up to preseason early and has blocked out the chatters, according to him.

"I put in the work in the off-season and my whole mindset changed. I just focus on the positives now instead of the negatives and the goals have been coming," East explained. "The coaching staff helped me too. They motivate me."

Head coach Shavar Thomas agrees that there is something different about East this season.

"He is working hard and applying himself both on and off the field, and the chips are falling for him," Thomas said.

East has been on a five-game goal-scoring drought, but he is hoping to reclaim his prolific form when he faces the winner of the Tivoli Gardens-Cavalier FC quarter-final matchup."I am just thinking positive and I know the goals will come," East said.

He said his team's participation in the St Catherine knockout competition should also generate some momentum going into the semi-finals.

"We are in the finals of the St Catherine Knockout competition and we are using it to get ourselves ready," East said.

East and his charges will take on Federal United in the final of the St Catherine Knockout competition today.