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Racing in search of a number nine
January 06, 2026
Racing United lost their lead in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) standings after two weeks at the summit, following a third consecutive draw, against Waterhouse, on Sunday.
The result left the Anthony Patrick-coached team in second on 28 points, one point adrift of Montego Bay United.
After his team's 0-0 draw with Waterhouse on Sunday, Patrick stated his desire for a prolific striker, to take his team to the next level.
"We are looking for somebody to put the ball in the back of the goal. If we can get a forward to finish with 15-plus goals, we are going to be in good stead going forward," he said.
He pointed out that their leading scorers - Tajay Grant (seven goals), Nickyle Ellis (four) and Giovanni Cunningham (three) - all midfielders, have borne the brunt of the goalscoring duties thus far.
However, he believes the extra responsibility and attention have resulted in the current goal drought these players are experiencing, and believes that a quality number nine to link up play and finish opportunities created would serve them well going forward.
"Very concerned (about Grant, Ellis' scoring drought). Although they are two midfielders, we have asked them to play a little higher in the front line. So people are double and triple-teaming them at all times.
"Once we get that number nine to post up and draw attention, then they will get a lot more freedom to play," he reasoned.
Although they have lost their place at the summit, Patrick was not too concerned, noting that the leaders are still within touching distance and have them to play twice.
"We have to continue working. We still have MoBay to play. We still have all the teams to play. But the good thing is that they (MoBay) are not far in front of us and we have them twice. So it is going to make a difference when we meet in the return games," he stated.
On Sunday, a soggy outfield prevented both teams from showing their true quality, although Waterhouse created the better chances over the 90 minutes.
Nevertheless, he thought victory was within their grasp and that it is an opportunity lost.
"It was very difficult (to play). The youngsters were sliding all about the place. We cannot complain because both teams played on it, but the under foot conditions made a big difference," he said.
"We never got any time to do what we wanted to do. Waterhouse were able to do a bit more because they have a lot of taller players and they used a lot of diagonal and long balls. We created a few openings but the killer instinct just wasn't there.
"Evidently it is something we have to continue work on. Hopefully we can get a number nine that can get the job done for us in front of goal," he said.
