ROBIN Townsend reckons the Dorset Senior Trophy defeat to Poole Borough Reserves last November acted as a major turning point in his side’s season.

The Bridport Reserves’ boss is delighted with the way his players reacted to that 3-1 loss, since when they have gone on a five-match unbeaten run.

After last weekend’s fixture against Shaftesbury was postponed, the Bees go to Ham-worthy United Reserves this Saturday, a little over a month after they thrashed the same opponents 9-2.

Townsend has also picked out the likes of Harry Fleet and Gary Bulman as players that have impressed him so far this season, in a squad he feels has a slightly better mental edge this term.

“Losing to Poole Borough Reserves was very hard to take,” he said. “We were so poor in that game.

“The players realised enough was enough after that and since then we have gone on a bit of a run.

“I couldn’t fault anybody in the last five games and we hope to keep that run going.

“If everybody gives 100 per cent, I believe we can beat any team in this league.”

He went on to add: “The players have got the winning mentality a bit more this season.

“We have managed to do quite well against a few of the top teams and the only game where we probably deserved to get a shoeing was the Cran-borne one.

“We didn’t deserve to lose 6-1 to Mere, we just made individual mistakes that cost us.

“Harry Fleet has improved massively. His tackling was one of the things that let him down last season but now he has a bit more steel about him.

“Gary Bulman has come on leaps and bounds and got into the first team. The mental side of his game let him down in the past but he has addressed that now.”

The manager, whose team currently sit fifth in the Dorset Premier League, is aiming to better last season’s points tally of 47 and continue their run in the League Cup.

They host Portland United in the last eight a week on Sat-urday but before that they will look to do the league double over Hamworthy.

“They are a reserve side the same as us,” he added. “I spoke to their manager before that last game and he had lads stepping up to their first team that day.

“They are at home this time and may have more players available than last time, you just don’t know what’s going to happen.

“We travelled all the way there last season only for the referee to call it off when we got to the ground. We don’t want a repeat of that this year.”

Meanwhile, Darren Lock has been able to commit himself to the Bees for the rest of the season.