After losing a raft of high profile players during the summer transfer period, many predicted that Somerset Trojans would struggle this season.

But so far that simply hasn’t been the case for the Trojans who managed to hold their own during the first half of the Premier Division campaign.

The West Enders are presently second in the top tier where they trail leaders Dandy Town by just a point.

Trojans recorded five wins, two draws and as many losses during the first half of the league season and haven’t been beaten in league play since losing 5-1 to Hornets on home turf in October.

Not a bad return for a team that lost the valuable services of key players such as Tyrell Burgess, Dion Stovell, Malachi Jones and Ijahmon Mallory and were slow getting out of the blocks at the beginning of the season.

Trojans’ rich form has caught many by surprise, including former goalkeeper Gladstone ‘Old Hell’ Robinson.

“Many thought that Somerset would struggle after they lost a lot of key players,” he said. “I really thought Somerset would be in trouble and we were taking licks for a while before we improved.”

Robinson attributes the club’s good form of late to a hard work ethic and harmony among the ranks.

“The players are training more and are training very hard and I think that is having a positive effect and starting to spill over into the games,” he said. “Everyone is training hard together and reading each other and the more you train and play together you get to know one another and the experience will definitely come.”

Trojans made the worst possible start to the season after suffering a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of newly promoted Hamilton Parish in their league opener on September 22 and leaking in a staggering 21 goals in their first four outings (league and Dudley Eve). But they appear to have sorted out themselves out at the back and have conceded only two goals in the last four league outings.

Trojans boast the fourth best scoring record (16 goals) in the Premier Division at present.

As well as a hard work ethic and harmony, Robinson credits Trojans coach Danvers Seymour Jr and his assistant Mark Trott for the team’s remarkable turnaround and believes the current crop of players can take the club to great heights.

“Mark there assisting Seymour makes a lot of difference and that is wonderful,” he said. “This team has a lot of potential and can be a force to be reckoned with in years to come if they stay together.

“This team has a lot of potential as long as they stay together. The team is coming along pretty good and I am very proud of them.”

One of the players Robinson singled out is Trojans goalkeeper, Shaquille Bean, who he keeps close tabs on and offers his advice to.

“I must give praise to Shaquille because he has saved a lot shots,” he said. “He is a good goalkeeper who I think can take Somerset far.

“I give him advice whenever possible and he listens to me.”

Trojans take on arch rivals PHC Zebras in a Friendship Trophy quarter-final at Somerset Cricket Club on Sunday (2:30pm).

Trojans handed Zebras a 2-0 league loss at Southampton Oval earlier this month.