MOUNT Pleasant FA prodigy Devonte Campbell finally found the back of the net this season in the Jamaica Premier League during his team’s 4-1 rout of Molynes United on Sunday.

The teenager has featured prominently for the Wally Downes-coached team since the season began but was struggling to get among the goals even as his team enjoyed a good start to the campaign.

Undoubtedly, he was more than a little bit delighted to finally hit the back of the net.

“I feel good about my overall performance. It’s been about four or five games that I have played and not scored so I made it my aim to score today [Sunday] and continue scoring for the rest of my matches,” he said.

As can be expected, Campbell, who burst on the scene from the Mount Pleasant academy last year, was struggling mentally with the goalscoring drought he was experiencing.

“It was bothering me, so I started working harder in training. After training I did some finishing drills, and it’s paying off,” he said.

Mount Pleasant dropped points for the first time this season when they played to a 1-1 draw with Dunbeholden, and Campbell admitted it was frustrating for the team after they gave up their 100 per cent win record. That made them determined to fix things on the weekend.

“We were a bit frustrated that we dropped points last week but we came out, we knew what we wanted to do — that was winning the next game — and that’s what we did.”

Though still only 18 years old, the ambitious youngster is hoping to secure an overseas contract through which he can take his game to the next level.

“I am hoping to get a contract overseas so I am just doing my best. Hopefully a team wants me and I can remain in the national squad that I was in recently.”

He was called up to the Reggae Boyz squad last month and, despite not getting minutes on the pitch, found the experience to be a real eye-opener.

“It was a great feeling, a wonderful experience; it was just great. It was very, very good. The quality was high — passing, everything — so in order for me to fit in I had to up my standards,” said the wide-eyed teenager.

Technical Director Downes spoke of the importance of bringing players from their academy through to the first team at Mount Pleasant.

“It’s a big thing for us. The more players we can get into the squad and into the team to get some minutes, the better. We didn’t get that many in [on Sunday] because we had a couple of experienced players coming back.”

He was happy that Campbell, who had an assist to go along with his goal, was rediscovering his form of last season.

“Devonte burst onto the scene last year. At the start of the season this year he had a little bit of a dip, but young players are like that. You have to expect them to be up and down a little bit.

“He has come through a little bit of a dodgy patch he had. He played much better last week and I am really pleased he got on the scoresheet, because he had a really good week’s training as well,” said Downes.

Campbell will have an opportunity to play in front of the Mount Pleasant fans for the first time as a senior player, as the JPL will be played at his home field in Drax Hall this weekend.

— Dwayne Richards