BRIDPORT manager Adam Fricker insists the Bees’ “full focus” is on their league form ahead of the visit of Shepton Mallet to St Mary’s Field tonight (7.45pm).

Due to their FA Cup efforts against National League South side St Albans, Bridport have as many as six games in hand on some teams in the Toolstation Western Premier Division.

And now Fricker is eager to return to the club’s “bread and butter”.

He said: “We need to get our heads down and start concentrating on the league now, that’s massive.

“(The cup run) was great while it lasted but we need to concentrate now and our full focus is on that.

“I’d like to think that the confidence the lads will get from the cup run and matching a team from three leagues above us should give us the confidence.

“Hopefully we can start to replicate that form in the league, that’s our bread and butter and that’s what we need to be focusing on.”

After the Bees’ endeavours against the Saints, Fricker is paying extra attention to his players’ fitness ahead of their clash with the Mallet.

He said: “We need to get some points on the board now. If we can string a couple of results together it will be really encouraging.

“The lads put a lot into it and we’ll have to see how they go and go from there. We have Lee Sweet coming back into the squad who was cup tied and Cameron Vere played his last game for us.

“Other than that I think everyone is injury free. It’s just a case of whether they are fresh. We don’t want to rip the heart out of the side as well, we need to get the balance right.”

Shepton Mallet currently sit in fifth place in the league, some 10 points above the Bees having played five matches more, and Fricker expects winning the game to be a “tough ask”.

He said: “They have started the season well to be fair to them. It doesn’t matter who we play, it’s always a difficult game.

“We know it’s a tough ask but we also know that if we get our levels up to where we’ve been this season we can put in a good performance.”

CONTACT ME:

t: 01305 830990

e: neil.walton

@dorsetecho.co.uk

twitter: @EchosportNeil