Racing confident of making JPL playoffs despite dip in form

Despite suffering three consecutive defeats in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), Anthony Patrick, head coach of Racing United, remains optimistic his team will secure a pace in the six-team playoffs.

Racing United, who have earned just one point from their last four matches, need only two points from their remaining two games to secure their maiden playoff spot.

Their latest setback came on Sunday when they went down 2-0 to defending champions Cavalier SC. The Gregory Park-based team currently sit fifth in the standings on 56 points, just one ahead of Cavalier, while former champions Montego Bay United FC lead the table with 71 points.

Patrick noted that they have been affected by some questionable officiating.

"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 groove to go forward in our remaining matches and also for the playoffs as well."

MAJOR CONCERN

Patrick added that a lack of goals has also been a major concern for the team in recent weeks, with some of their key attackers struggling to find the back of the net.

"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 need to you realise it's tough for us," he 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 (scoring) and that is still not coming. But we are not in a panic mode and so we'll just regroup and look at the positive aspects of our game," Patrick noted.

The veteran coach also shared that their second-half performances and lack of squad depth have been a huge factors.

"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," Patrick 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."