BRIDPORT boss Trevor Senior has revealed his simple target for this season – promotion from Toolstation Western League Division One.

The Bees have not plied their trade in the top-flight since they were relegated back in 2005 but expectations are mounting that a return to the Premier Division could be on the cards.

Senior’s men were unbeaten throughout pre-season and kicked off their league campaign with a highly impressive 2-0 victory over Bradford Town.

However, it was the magnificent conclusion to the 2009/10 term, which included reaching the Les Phillips Cup semi-finals, that is the main reason for such optimism at St Mary’s Field.

At the turn of the year, Bridport were languishing in the bottom five of the table but they finished the term in 10th spot, collecting 37 points from their final 20 matches.

If that form continues, argues Senior, the Bees will be a force to be reckoned with and should be seriously considered among the frontrunners.

He told Echosport: “We all spoke about it towards at the end of last season and I’ve gone on record before as saying if we can get a good start I see no reason why we can’t be challenging in the top six.

“Obviously promotion is the aim but it’s a long season and there are 18 other teams in the league that will be saying the same thing at this moment.

“I have seen all the teams in this league now and we know their strengths and weaknesses. We need to get consistency and I am pleased with what we’ve shown in pre-season.

“The big thing will be keeping the squad injury-free. I’m hopeful but you can never guarantee anything in football.

“Home form is vitally important. After Christmas we only lost one game at St Mary’s Field and made it a fortress. That’s something we want to replicate.”

Senior has often cited the togetherness at Bridport as the principal factor behind last season’s successes and he reiterated that his charges are single-mindedly focused on achieving his objective.

To illustrate this, Dan Wise, Jamie Symes and Darren Watts have all pledged their futures to the club in the recent past despite being the subjects of transfer speculation.

Senior said: “We have got a good set of lads here who want to be successful. The main reason everybody stayed is they feel the same as I do, that we have a chance of achieving something special.

“The structure is in place and the players know how to operate within that framework. We also have players who can thrive in a variety of positions.”

Landing striker Ryan Dovell from Hamworthy United and being able to call upon Dorchester Under-18s’ gloveman Sam Filkins has also aided Senior’s quest to install more quality.

He added: “You have got to feel for Jamie Fry with his injury because he had a cracking season, but Sam Filkins has come in and done really well.

“Now that he has got on the scoresheet two or three times, I think Ryan Dovell will score a lot of goals for us. But there is no pressure on him because there are goals across the team.”

* STEVE Crabb is tipping Ben Clarke and Tristan Gale to form a lethal partnership and spearhead Bridport Reserves’ Dorset Premier League quest.

Journeyman Gale has rejoined the Bees following spells at Chard Town and Axminster Town – and has been among the goals during pre-season alongside his fellow hitman.

The reserves opened their summer programme with a 7-0 drubbing of Trowbridge Town’s second string before bagging a 3-1 victory over Axminster Town and a 6-2 defeat of Chard Town Reserves.

A plethora of fresh faces have arrived at St Mary’s Field during the off-season not only to enlarge the squad but also to inject into it much-needed quality.

And new boss Crabb, who has assumed control with Mark Lock after stepping up from the third team, is targeting a mid-table finish as well as hoping to assist the first team’s promotion bid.

He said: “When Mark and I started with the thirds a couple of years ago we wanted to get them as close to the reserves as we could so that the gap between the two sides wasn’t a big jump.

“Now our aim is to get the reserves playing well so that if and when any of the players are needed to step up, they are more than capable of doing that.

"Of course it would be nice to win the league but realistically that’s not in our sights. If we can finish mid-table and support the first team at the same time then it would be job done.

“I’m excited by the pairing of Tristan Gale and Ben Clarke because they have the ability to score goals – Ben got more than 30 last season in a team that finished fourth from bottom.

“Tristan is looking very sharp and I have high hopes for him. He has been at a few clubs but hopefully he will produce the goods for us.”

Ashley Clarke has been appointed skipper and will lead his side out for their first league match of the season, at Poole Borough on Saturday (3pm).

Crabb acknowledges the fortunes of the first team will have a major bearing on how his troops progress, something that is indicative of being in charge of a reserve team.

He added: “If Trevor Senior has a settled squad then that can only benefit us. If that happens I don’t see why we can’t be competitive.

“Last season Mike Savage lost a lot of players and that put the team under pressure early on. Our biggest problem will be keeping everybody happy because there are so many players here now.”