It may be appropriate for Somerset Trojans coach Dennis Brown to hand out compasses to his strikers during tonight's training session.

Brown is not at all amused over his team's current lean spell in front of goal that has now spanned some 180 minutes.

"We are like we are in another world up front. We just have to pick things up offensively because to go an entire 90 minutes without bothering the goalkeeper is troubling to me," said Brown in the aftermath of this week's Martonmere Cup semi-final loss to PHC.

"Our strikers need to know what it is they have to do, and I am not afraid to make decisions. If someone is not performing then they need to sit down."

In fairness to Brown's poachers, the losses of Dion Stovell to injury, Stephen Astwood to semi-pro football and speed merchant Rohann Simons to First Division Southampton Rangers have taken a toll on the Trojans attack.

This in turn has lured 40-year-old Rodney Bascome out of retirement, and forced Brown to tap into the club's youth programme.

"Now is the time to start bringing in some of the younger guys because you can't soldier on with the older guys forever," he said.

"We are going through a transition period as some players are no longer with us from last year. We are also still without Dion (Stovell) who will be a big boost when he returns.

"If you look at our team we still have a lot of experienced players. But these experienced players need to step up.

"I am not concerned about those who have left the team . . . we just need to concentrate on the guys who are there."

Brown insists he is not overly concerned about his team's recent Martonmere Cup demise, and prefers instead to keep focused on the long season ahead.

"I'm not worried because you don't win the league or get relegated in October and it's still a long way to go," he added. "And the good thing about the Martonmere is that it allows you to try different combinations.

"For the last two years we have had good starts and then in the last part of the season have fizzled out. So hopefully things will turn around for us this year.

"Every team goes through a bad patch at some stage of the season, and so hopefully we are having ours early.

"We just have to pick it up from here while the players have to take responsibility."