Somerset Trojans coach Dennis Brown has admitted he always expected a struggle this season as the club confirmed their relegation ticket following their 6-0 thrashing against league leaders North Village at the weekend.

Trojans will be playing in the First Division next term with the West Enders seven points adrift of safety with only two matches remaining.

"It's a disappointment but to be honest not a surprise," said Brown. "We really hoped for the best this year but at the end of the day we just weren't good enough and going down to the First Division will give me a chance to develop some of the younger guys that I played.

"We weren't ready for the top flight just yet."

Trojans got off a good start, taking eight points from their first four games and got as high as second place before losing to Dandy Town, a result that triggered their startling slide.

The club then went on a horrendous run, winning no more games and picked up just one point for the remainder of the campaign.

While the hierarchy will surely be questioning the ability of Brown to guide the side in the right direction, the former international plans on blooding some younger players next season as the squad looks to be shaken up.

"Early in the season we played some games we thought we could get results from and we got those points," Brown said.

"But after we played Eagles, we played a lot of the top teams that were looking to win the league and once we played our first games the reality set in to me that we are at this time not ready yet. Different experts at the club will be sending out questions about the team and so forth but at the end of the day I know what we had.

"We only picked up two players so it was the same team that bought us up and at the end of the day I am looking, if I am still wanted in the role going forward, to develop the younger ones who are coming through and this is a good time to do that."

The last relegation spot could be decided this weekend should results go against Hamilton Parish. Hot Peppers are currently three points behind Southampton Rangers and Devonshire Colts, who both have a vastly superior goal difference.

Should Parish lose or both Colts and Rangers win, they will join Trojans in the dreaded drop to the First Division.