CRANBORNE 0 BRIDPORT RES 1

POSITIVE Mike Savage believes Bridport Reserves’ Dorset Premier League victory at Cranborne underlines the untapped potential at the club.

Just four Dorset Senior Trophy final survivors started on Saturday as the reserves’ boss continued to assess the quality in his squad with a view to next season.

Skipper Steve Churchill, James Maidment, Dan Jones and Ben Clarke lined up alongside numerous youngsters as Savage kept faith with his policy of blooding third-team players.

Will Boyer bagged the only goal of the game on 65 minutes to rubberstamp the West Dorset outfit’s eighth league victory of the campaign.

Marksman Clarke, who has fallen out of favour in the senior squad, spurned a couple of one-on-one chances to increase the victory margin.

Keeper Lee Cleal returned prematurely from an injury lay-off amid a crisis of options in goal and pulled off a crucial point-blank save to preserve the points.

And Savage, who claimed the result was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, said: “We were the better side especially in the first half but they were poor. I thought coming into the game that it would be difficult with the side we had out but we won it easily in the end as they didn’t create much.

“What made it even better was the inexperienced side and I thought we kept it down and played really well.”

He added: “Sam Beaton was impressive in midfield and it’s good for the boys to get a confidence boost with a few games still to play.

“I think I’m about three or four players short of what I want but these players will be even stronger next year.”

The Bees entertain Wincanton Town at St Mary’s Field tonight (7.45pm).

Bees: Cleal, L Hayter, Churchill, J Maidment, Boyer, Jones (Pitcher, 70), Scovell, Cummings, Beaton, McAllister, B Clarke.