#dolphins 1 v 0 #hitchin

The call had gone out

Like a horn blast across Dorset, the signal was there for all beer drinkers to hear, the Poole Town bar was finally open

Create a bar, and they will come - and they did in their numbers

Beers on tap, beers in the can, INSIDE WORKING toilets and oh yes, did I mention they had beer?

Wee Simmo was the only one disappointed pre match as Phil, whose round it was, was pulled behind the bar to help out which he manfully did, without actually telling him

Once the penny dropped and he got his own in, he only had 5 minutes to sink a pint of reasonably priced San Miguel but of course, that was at least 3 minutes longer than he needed...

On the way down Steve and I discussed our girly dilemma of what to wear for the evening and we both got it wrong

My boob tube and his off the shoulder number in no way kept out the cold and we wished we hadn't been fooled by such a fine sunny day

Poole started the brighter and it was good to see Burbidge pushed forward for a change and it was his shot in the first minute that showed the home team's intent but he dragged the ball just wide

Poole were sharper all over the pitch and even Elliott who I'd previously criticised as having the gentle first touch of a sledgehammer was doing well linking up with the midfield

Corners were also causing the Hitchin defence all sorts of problems despite their height advantage, mostly because of Brooks' zebedee like leaps but it was Wannell that went closest after 8 minutes, putting his header wide

Not normally worth a mention except the header did manage to smash a sickly sweet smelling energy drink out of the guy's hand next to me causing a very pleasing fountain effect

Not quite as pleasing, though, as when Wee Simmo forgot that he was stood in a roofed area 2 minutes later and attempted to kick the ball in the air with the ball's ricochet taking out half of the RWA

Talking of which it was an evening where the RWA regained their voice and passion for the game and that was so good to hear

Although very much on top, Poole struggled to get anything on target although I bet on 20 minutes their number 2 wished Dev's pile driver HAD tested the keeper, rather than catching him in the "gentleman's area"

Quite frankly I'd have wanted to be stretchered off so the fact he was back on his feet just a few eye watering minutes later was testament to his determination

Besides, the local choirs are always after someone who can hit that top C so every cloud and all that ....

Preston had the next Poole chance but his shot was brilliantly blocked by the tracking defender and on 37 minutes it was again time for the impressive Burbidge to shine

Cutting in from the right, having played a smart 1-2 he belted the ball towards goal and the keeper made an excellent low save, clinging on to the ball as poacher Brooks sniffed for a spillage

A minute later it was he that turned provider by crossing the ball in low from the right and you'll not see a more relieved man than their number 5 as his sliced clearance looped up, bounced on the bar and into the crowd

The RWA pounced in the ball before Alex had the chance to do it all again....

Just before the half time whistle Burbidge crowned a first class first half display by appearing this time on the left, cutting inside and unleashing a ferocious shot to the far corner which the keeper was at full stretch to tip round the post

Half Time 0-0

We were all disappointed that, as the second half started, we saw Chiedozie on the pitch instead of Burbidge 

Not just because Burbidge had been the stand out player of the first half, but because Chiedozie had looked a little tired (lazy) in previous games and this was no time to take your foot off the pedal

My mate Steve is the next person to trouble my note taking as he cheered wildly at what he saw as a Hitchin shot that went horribly wrong - If only he'd seen their player on the left who collected the ball BEFORE the whooping started

Luckily we had a crowd commentator next to us for the second half so we were left in no doubt as to how the rest of the game was going....

On 51 minutes a slick through ball had Chiedozie running through with a great chance until an awful first touch sent him so wide that when the shot came in, the angle was so tight the keeper blocked his options and the ball went for a corner

I was just commenting that it must be time someone else learned to take a corner as Devlin must run miles every game to take them all when in the ball came

After a blocked shot and a half clearance the ball fell to Elliott who thumped the ball through a crowd of players to put the home side 1 up

Thank goodness for that!!

Five minutes later a Hitchin fan walked past and shouted at their number 3 "go on Gazza - skin him"

I looked at their 3 - worst Gazza impersonator ever - no fake boobs, fishing rod OR packet of sandwiches

The remainder of the game had Poole in charge but really lacking that cutting edge

Davies came on for Devlin and Gillespie came on for Elliott but neither made a real impact on the game

The Hitchin fans got more and more frustrated at their perceived bias of the ref towards Poole so it did make me smile as they cheered like madmen as they were awarded a throw in - class

The last moment of note was for their striker

Luckily for him I couldn't see what number he was to fully name and shame but as my mate said - he produced a move that was a "mixed bag" towards the end

Firstly, he brilliantly controlled a long ball that looped over his head with his left foot, then he shinned it to the touch line

Showing a surprising turn of pace he got to the ball and went past the defender, only to trip over his own feet and fall over as he went, unchallenged, to cross the ball

You just can't teach that

Final Score 1-0

Summary - A far better performance than I have seen recently and it was bizarre that the goal came in the second half when Poole were far more dominant in the first half

It seemed a much more balanced side with more players playing their preferred positions which made everyone look just more comfortable

Fatigue is still the key for this season and it worries me that the second half was less dynamic than the first, especially as Poole have such a difficult game on Thursday

Maybe they were just saving their energy, maybe......

Star Man - Had he stayed on the pitch it would probably have gone to Burbidge but instead I'm awarding it to Brooks for marshalling the front line so well and making such good runs and creating space for the team to run into

Only a goal was missing from a quality performance

#dolphins 1 v 2 #stourbridge

So here I was, my second game in a week but as there was a 'fiver-ness' about it how could I not make the last minute decision to attend?

The mood in the bar was much buoyed after Tuesday's heroics although when we looked at the team sheet and saw that Gillespie wasn't even in the squad we all feared that perhaps his precautionary substitution was maybe a little more serious than that

Right from the first whistle you could see that Stourbridge were going to be a very different prospect to Banbury as they had pace all over the pitch and gave Poole absolutely no time on the ball

In fact had they brought their shooting boots they could have been 2 up in the first 10 minutes as first their 6 fired just over and then their 7 forced a great fingertip save from Thomas

Gulp

Charles had Poole's first chance on 10 minutes as a cross from the right hung invitingly for him but unfortunately he mistimed his header horribly and completely missed the ball - what I'd give to have Gillespie attacking that kind of chance

After Stourbridge's strong start Poole started to come much more into it but unfortunately the chances kept falling to the wrong player, Dibba, who was unable to convert

The first was from a Devlin outside of the boot inswinging cross that he just couldn't get to and the next was after he reacted quickest to the errant overhead kick from Charles but again he just couldn't quite reach

On 39 minutes Stourbridge showed what they were all about producing a passage of play reminiscent of  Leeds in the 70's as they smoothly passed the ball from one end to the other through a dozen or so passes and if the final ball wasn't just too high for their number 2 striker then surely that would have been the goal of the season

Bearing in mind the pitch was so bumpy it often made the ball look like a Mexican jumping bean it was a truly impressive display

Half Time 0-0

The opening 15 minutes of the second half were largely even although Poole were very lucky to have the ref stop play for the injured Dibba just as Stourbridge had broken through and looked destined to open their account

The very vocal travelling supporters were NOT happy and quite frankly I didn't blame them

On the hour mark though their frustration turned to delight as a flick on was pounced upon by their impressive number 2 and he beat Thomas to the ball and skilfully chipped it past him before beating the world record knee skid to celebrate their deserved lead 0-1

That, however, appeared to wake Poole up from their slumber and 2 minutes later Charles was bearing down on goal.

His shot was initially blocked then his second brilliantly saved by the keeper but the ball ricocheted to the edge of the box where super-Dev took aim and smashed the ball into the top left corner

A fantastic finish and to rub salt into the would he even took the knee slide record from their 2 as he aped the celebration towards the delirious RWA 1-1

We all assumed then that this would be the stepping stone to an impressive comeback but in fact the opposite happened

It almost appeared that the team had this one last herculean effort left in them to get the game back to parity but by doing that they just had nothing left to give

Passes became wayward, running stopped and challenges, whilst not dangerous, started to come under the category of "I got there as soon as I could"

It was one such "tired" challenge which resulted in Stourbridge being awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute and it was coolly slotted away to make it 1-2

Sure, Charles did have a glancing header just go wide and a Davies' shot did sting the keeper's fingers but in my opinion we could have played all night and wouldn't have scored

In fact, the longer the game went on the more likely the goal difference was going to take a beating so when the final whistle went , there was almost an air of relief, like when you see a boxing match where one boxer is clearly out on his feet but is determined to get through to the end

Final Score 1-2

Summary : For the first time this season I have some doubts about Poole's chances of reaching the play-offs

Part time builders, plasterer's etc just can't be expected to play 3 games a week on a relentless treadmill of games and be able to keep winning

The weather could be the factor that finally breaks Poole and so something has to be done to protect the players

In my opinion some games are going to have to be sacrificed by playing a weaker side else EVERY game we will be putting out a weak side as each and every one of them are completely shattered

Also, we can't keep relying on Devlin to burst the back of the net to rescue the side and so the season may well depend on how quickly Gillespie can be brought back into the starting line up

Star Man : Burbidge - playing out of position he looked composed at the back and offered real threat when going on his cavalier runs in attack

#dolphins 4 v 1 #banbury

It had been a week or so since I'd seen Poole play and in Poole's life, that meant I'd missed a LOT of games

That included the Bedford game but from what I'd heard my trip to Birmingham to see AFCB triumph was by far the better choice

It was after that humbling defeat that we all stood under the new stand more than a little apprehensive about what we were about to see

The backlog of games had cruelly caught up with Poole and we all hoped that this extra day's break would be enough to rest our weary players

It looked like Banbury even had magic on their side as their coach looked like the bus driver from Harry Potter fame and we all feared the possible "bumpy riiiiide"

Looking at the Banbury line up the 2 CBs and the keeper had clearly been eating their weetabix as they stood about 9 feet tall - I just hoped that Killick had given the "keep the ball on the deck" command

Within 4 minutes it was clear that the team were on message as smart interplay in the middle resulted in Gillespie running through on goal but the keeper just stretched out his giant telescopic arms in true Inspector Gadget style and beat him to the ball

Six minutes later and this time it was Chiedozie in a foot race with the keeper and this time the attacker won but his only option was to lob the keeper and had to hit it so high it came down with snow on it, landed on the new stand and shattered into a million shards of ice

On 11 minutes Poole made all this good pressure pay

It was Gillespie that again ran through and deciding wisely against the aerial route he thumped the ball low and Bambi on ice was unable to adjust his feet quick enough to prevent being nutmegged from the edge of the box 1-0

The poor lad looked shell shocked but that was only the start of his woes as the RWA seized upon this weakness to give him a torrid time for the rest of the game.......

The Poole pressure now was relentless as the Banbury defence threw their bodies at everything and everyone to prevent Brooks, Elliott and then Gillespie from doubling the host's lead as chance after chance was created by keeping the pace of the game high and the crosses low

It took until 35 minutes for the second goal to come and it came from the left by way of a chest high cross and Gillespie was quickest to react with a stooping header guided inside the near post

Excellent giant avoidance there and no more than Poole deserved 2-0 and apart from one Banbury striker auditioning for a slot on Splash that was the final point of note in the first half

The Banbury manager had clearly administered a well deserved rocket as they came out with some fire in their bellies and in the first minute forced Thomas into a smart save diving to his left

That fight back was short lived though as on 49 minutes it was game over

Gillespie again ran through and this time he was unceremoniously dealt with and was sent flying for the most obvious of penalties

Devlin then showed a touch of class by stepping down and allowing Gillespie to take it and complete his hat-trick by banging the ball down the middle 3-0

Devlin and Brooks were then subbed to preserve them for future games and again Devlin showed how much he'd grown since the last time I saw him by shaking everyone's hand in the dug out and then more hand shaking with the crowd as he walked off to a deserved early rest

He'd just disappeared round the corner as his replacement, Davis, tore down the left and fired a low cross in and this was met by , who else, Gillespie and he rifled the ball home to make it 4-0

The game was so over now that Poole well and truly took their foot off the gas

I did enjoy a Davies long free kick which raced along the ground and as the keeper stooped to pick it up it bobbled and caught him square in the face - haven't laughed so much in ages :-)

Gillespie was then taken off as a precaution which meant that Poole were down to 10 as all substitutes were used which meant that Banbury came much more into the game and although they didn't look particularly threatening, they did manage a consolation goal with 5 minutes to go

Their 12 went on a mazy run down the left and suddenly cut in and fired into the bottom far corner giving Thomas no chance

The clean sheet was gone which was a shame but it was much too little way too late and the game petered out to finish 4-1

Summary : Best performance I'd seen from Poole for weeks. The day's extra rest clearly helped and I wonder if that should give Tom something to think about

By my reckoning 2 wins a week for the rest of the season would take Poole safely into the play-offs so would it be better to just play a second 11 on Thursdays to give the key players time to recover - only time will tell I guess

Star Man : Gillespie - fantastic attacking display and single handedly dismantled this giant Banbury team

#dolphins 0 v 2 #hemel

Pre match drinks was improved today by Hemel fans joining in and having a natter

They were cautiously optimistic despite some less than quality performances (their words not mine) and didn't even raise an eyebrow at the High Ho song - good effort I reckon

I stood in the new stand behind the goal first half and the RWA didn't take long to discover and appreciate the acoustics of the place.

I was more intrigued in their number 8 and number 9. They reminded me of the Schwarzenegger/Devito movie "Twins" and I'm sure 9 must be cheesed off with 8 bench pressing him all the time (beast)

The game kicked off and the opening 10 minutes were even(ish) with both sides forcing easy saves from the respective keepers but although shot numbers were even, possession certainly wasn't

The relentless number of games Poole are having to play was already showing as Hemel were quicker to every ball and always had options when on the ball, whereas Poole looked pedestrian in comparison

Good sides capitalise on any advantage and Hemel are better than good and so on 13 minutes the almost inevitable happened

A through ball had their attacker chasing and although I was a LONG way away, it seemed like Thomas hesitated and by the time he decided to go at the ball it was too late

Their player got there first and smacked the ball over the diving keeper. To his dismay the ball struck the underside of the bar and bounced out but, as shown for the full 90 minutes, when attacking Hemel attack with pace and in numbers and so it was Mackey who got there first to tap it in

It was a hard enough task to get anything out of this game having played twice midweek and playing the champions elect and this was a real, very visible body blow 0-1

Heads dropped, panic set in.

Players stopped running and when they did run, control was all over the place

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't just about Poole imploding, Hemel went for the jugular and just ran the show

First to every ball the movement patterns of their attack was a joy to behold making our defence run and run, pulling them out of position and making them make decisions that they just didn't want to make

While Hemel were putting together 10-12 pass moves together including showboat back heels and then making Thomas make up for the goal with at least 2 very good stretching saves, the best that Poole could muster was a hoof up front and hope for the best

With the massive back 4 Hemel had it just wasn't the right tactic and they mopped up what was thrown at them

Half Time 0-1

Second half started and we noticed that their Harte lookalike of a keeper started the same as he did for the first half - tensed as if expecting a shot straight from the kickoff

Had he not watched the first half - that wasn't going to happen

We were still hopeful though - maybe Killick would work his magic again

As the ball struck the underside of Thomas' goal for the second time this game just 3 minutes into the second half we all looked at ourselves and winced

It was turning into a car crash - the kind of thing you don't want to watch but you just can't help yourself

The viewing got worse on 56 minutes as the frustrated Devlin was replaced by Chiedozie

The shirt came off in disgust like it did last time he was subbed at home but this time he went one step further by spitting his dummy fully over the fence and storming off

We all know he wears his heart on his sleeve and admire his passion but the team should always be put ahead of the player

Killick is the manager and it was his decision. Devlin's job was to abide by that decision and then turn his attention to supporting the rest of the team

Unashamedly, I will admit that he is my favourite Poole Town player, but today he not only let me down, he let his team and ultimate!y himself down

He's a big man and a big player and I reckon he'll know this already and will have apologised to everyone - we all have weak moments and it's how we react to those moments that can define a season

I've spent way too much time on this already but quite frankly apart from this and the absolutely inevitable Hemel second goal that came on 71 minutes there is very little else to talk about

The goal came from a route 1 long ball, flicked on for Mackey again who had the coolness of thought to slot easily past Thomas 0-2

The last 20 minutes Poole, who had done very little as an attacking force, just had nothing left

Right near the end you could hear Gillespie shouting "stop them taking the p**s out of us" because that was what was happening

Just walking around the pitch, keeping the ball moving and letting all players wander wherever they wanted Poole just couldn't get a sniff

It was an ending that just hurt, and Killick will earn every penny of his wages if he can pick this team up for 2 midweek away games

Final Score 0-2

Summary : When game after game was postponed we all agreed that this alone would put off any chances of automatic promotion

You would have to be superhuman to play 3 games a week while continuing as a plasterer / brickie  etc and so it proved today

However, despite this damning report - there is a positive to be spoken about

Hemel are the runaway leaders and will get promoted automatically this season. Poole have hundreds of home games left and although tricky, none will be as difficult as this game as no other side are as good as them in this league

We must, MUST, draw a line under this performance (not result) and move on knowing that we are capable of beating any team that lines up in front of them from now on

Tiredness will be a factor, squad rotation will be key and I have no doubt Poole will end the season in a play off spot

What is essential though, is when those pay-offs start we have a full, injury free and rested squad in order to fulfill the dream of back to back promotions

Star Man - Stephen Fakley - you may not have heard of him but he is the guy that selflessly left the dismal first half early in order to get the beers in. Undoubtedly the best service I witnessed from any Poole resident today :-)

#dolphins 2 v 0 #totton

The night started badly. I got to the carpark and it was all different - I fear change

Instead of stumbling across a bumpy, unlit, muddy field I was forced to walk along a well lit, tarmac path. Bloody outrageous!! I knew bringing that Mitchell into the fold would be the ruin of the club.....

I then ran into a very friendly steward who told me I'd missed the turning for the turnstile

But that couldn't have been true - I looked down that murky, black-hole-of-Calcutta alley and surely that couldn't be the welcoming way in??

I cautiously walked in, ready to be knifed at any point, turned round the corner and it was .....Pippa in the turnstile, turned round the wrong way

Another change - note to self - bring a torch and a big stick next time :-)

By the time I'd seen the bar moved too I did need a drink but don't worry, I'm over it now.....

Totton started the brighter but it was Poole that took the lead after just 4 minutes in unlikely circumstances

Bennett chased a slightly over-hit ball pumped over their defence and the keeper was able to get there first. With the whole world to aim for, the keeper smashed it at Bennett and the ball ricocheted towards the goal.

Bennett had the momentum and so got there first, knocking it in from 2 yards

Poole Town 1 v 0 Totton

A collective sigh went round the ground - this is what the faithful had been waiting for - a nice early goal and a hopefully convincing performance

Well, one out of two isn't that bad, is it?

On 13 minutes their number 8, a constant speedster threat, thumped the ball from distance and Whisken, mistaking the football for a basketball presumably, slapped the ball down and cleared it

The Totton crowd went berserk as no penalty was given. I (and my friends) winced and chose not to look their way - for me the distance between players was too great to say it was ball to hand, so discretion on our part  was the only way forward

Devlin almost rubbed salt into the wounds just 4 minutes later as his mazy run took him past all and sundry and as he was shown onto his right foot, he curled a delicious shot just past the left post

This though, was very much against the run of play as Totton were first to every ball and but for a fantastic last ditch tackle from Whisken their 8 was through on goal straight from the goal kick

That was a theme of the evening - the long ball to a pacey attacker caused problems - really weird considering how dominant the CB's are in the air

Despite having to live on scraps and soaking up a lot of pressure, it was Poole who created the next chance on 28 minutes and Preston ran down the left and fired in a low cross right across the goal

Bennett was charging in but just couldn't reach the ball and it flew to safety

Their 8 was then put through on 30 minutes and but for a heavy, heavy touch would have been through on goal but Thomas was there to clear up his mistake

Just 4 minutes later, though, 8 was charging at goal again and his shot was deflected over the bar

From the corner, the ball was half cleared but was rifled back at goal and if it wasn't for the fact their 7 was so slow to move it actually hit him on the line, surely that would have been the equaliser

Inexplicably the ref gave a corner, and from that the ball was headed at goal and looped over Thomas, only for Martin to spectacularly hook it off the line with a Pele like scissor-kick

How were we still in the lead?

Devlin had had enough of not getting the ball by this point and went on a 1 man crusade knocking players over to get the ball back and was penalised time and again

I've compared him to Archie Gemmill before, maybe Paul Scholes was more apt at this moment

Still Thomas stood resolute though and Poole saw the half off still leading 1-0

I'd hoped for a Killick hair dryer improvement in the second half but it took only 3 minutes for Thomas to have to use up yet another top drawer save, diving to his left from a long range shot

Nothing seemed to gel for Poole and on 58 minutes Devlin was substituted for Charles. He didn't look happy as he took his shirt off as he left the pitch- starved of the ball all night we could all feel his frustration

I hope Mrs D hid the dog before he got home....

We were hoping for inspiration and just 4 minutes after the substitution it came in the form of a marauding Prezzo

As he tore through the defence their 6 fell to the ground like he'd been harpooned - get up you girl - the ref wasn't impressed either

This gave Preston the time to pick out Bennett in the middle with a low cross and after a defence bamboozling turn, sent the keeper the wrong way, tucking it into to left of the goal

Well thank God for that 2-0 - although as I sit here now completely sober I still don't know how

No, that's not true - it was due to having a keeper in excellent form, and a striker more clinical than the opposition - simple

On 73 minutes Bennett was passed through on goal to complete his hat-trick but as the ball was rebounding off the post we all noticed that the ref was booking Charles - no idea why but it wouldn't have counted anyway

There was still time for "superman" Thomas to pull off 2 more fine saves before Bennett chested the ball down to Charles in the box on 82 minutes and he swiveled and crashed it against the post

The result was already flattering enough - that would have been just taking the p*ss

Final Score 2-0

Star Man : Thomas - a wonderful 90 minute long performance. He dominated the box and made enough saves today to win 4 matches

Summary : Poole win 2-0 and the star man was the keeper - I think that says it all. With fixtures relentlessly coming thick and fast and each player also having to do a "proper" job - tiredness may well derail the Dolphin juggernaut

Totton were a much better side than the league table suggests and will surprise many teams before the end of the season but still Poole had enough to get the job done

Good teams have to do this - win ugly - and this was as ugly as a robber's dog

#Dolphins 0 v 0 #Hungerford

As a part time supporter it's been a while since I saw Poole at home - to be fair it's been a while since ANYONE has seen them at home

The pitch was still a swimming pool at the Tatnam and so Wimborne were gracious enough to lend us their ground for the night - so for me it was almost my first away match

I have to say I was very impressed with both the bar and its stock - I hope the next time I'm actually at the Tatnam I'll be able to say the same

The ground was also very impressive although I wouldn't like to have to make too many cross field runs as I was never much of a fan of hill running - but I'm being churlish ......

The game started with Poole determined to look like the "home" team with Davies on the right and Devlin on the left causing both fullbacks problems

The game's first chance fell to Chiedozie as he was put through on 4 minutes

The world's smallest keeper gasped in frustration as he was never going to finish the sandcastle he'd started in the goal mouth but still bravely came out and tipped Chiedozie's fierce shot around the post

The fact that the ref didn't give the obvious corner didn't endear him to the RWA, shall we say

The pressure on Hungerford was relentless and perhaps we got a glimpse of what was to come on 10 minutes as a Devlin free kick fell to the in form Spetch and twice his shots from close range were blocked by desperate defenders throwing themselves in front of the ball

It was going to take something special to beat this well drilled side and even my helpful hints of "just aim high" didn't seem to help

Before the game the referee was seen polishing off 2 double cheeseburgers and they came home to roost on 23 minutes as he was forced to stop the game for 6 minutes for a "comfort" break

Sure he said it was to replace a contact lens but that doesn't explain the Benny Hill run off the pitch - I kept looking for the bald man he was going to slap .....

The last 10 minutes turned into the Bennett show

First he turned brilliantly at the edge of the box to make himself a yard of space but his shot just went over the bar - maybe they had heard me after all....

Then he was put through after  great run and only a fantastic last ditch tackle stopped him pulling the trigger.

Finally, from the resulting  corner Spetch rose the highest and he saw his header cleared off the line and the ball fell to Bennett - quick as a flash he smashed the ball into the gaping net on the left only to see the ball thump against the post

Close but no cigar - Half Time : 0-0

Poole started on the attack again and their job seemingly got easier on 50 minutes as their rotund number 5 finally got fed up of getting no ball by scything down Davies

Maybe it was frustration, or maybe it was the beard - beards anger some people I've found...

Anyway it was a straight red - surely this was the edge we needed?

What I'd like to say now was that Poole started passing Hungerford off the pitch to tire them out before applying the final killer blow - I'd like to, but I can't

What actually happened was Poole slowed the game down, had loads of possession but none of which was in the final third.

Hungerford were well drilled and organised and sat back en masse and the speed at which Poole played meant that no gaps were found - in fact for some of the game, despite it looking like a training match of defence against attack, you'd be hard pushed to notice they were a man down

It took until the 68th minute for Poole to muster a shot as Spetch's free kick nearly took my head off and 7 minutes later his header again just went wide

The keeper just wasn't getting tested - the only way he was getting his kit dirty was if he dropped his post match hot chocolate down him

Devlin then had a shot that was visibly repelled by the obvious spell the keeper had put on the goal and then the unthinkable almost happened

With just 7 minutes to go their 11 was suddenly through and Buchel pulled off a lovely low save to rescue the "home" side

The last 5 minutes and the extraordinary extra 6 minutes of injury time (where did he get that from) were spent hoisting a lot of high balls into the box, just hoping for the ball to fall our way

It didn't and the game ended a disappointing 0-0

Summary : Lots of possession, quite a lot of chances, very very few shots on target - that was the defining factor.

Hungerford, despite playing with 10 men for 40 minutes were organised and tireless and Poole just didn't have the guile to break them down, or the luck in front of goal - although if you can't hit the target, luck doesn't really count for much

Star Man: Spetch - these run outs with higher league teams have clearly rubbed off and he popped up all over the pitch

#Dolphins 2 v 0 #StNeots

I’m starting to become a sort of regular now at the Tatnam and I have now witnessed a ceremony I thought was only folklore

As two fans came in they were welcomed warmly as obvious firm favourites and as they approached the bar door I was advised to “wait for it….” but I had no idea why

As they opened the bar door the bar regulars all joined in with a rousing chorus of “Hi Hooooo”  - that kept me chuckling for the whole game – so nice to see banter amongst friends where no malice was intended and none taken

I also very much enjoyed a phrase I never thought I’d ever hear – “you get into Dylan and I’ll get the flag”.

Alex was Dylan for the day and to see him desperately trying to keep the costume trousers up as he marched across the pitch is another sight that I won’t be able to forget in a long time

The teams lined up and St Neots had clearly got the wrong end of the stick. This was billed as a game of football – not a basketball/rugby cross.

Their numbers 4 and 6, the two centre backs, were absolutely enormous and built like brick out-houses – I hoped that we’d taken note of this and had plans to keep the ball on the deck

Poole were the brighter starters and with Preston on the left and Brooks on the right the Saint’s full backs were all over the place and crosses rained in from both left and right

Trouble was, they were all up in the air and let’s face it, there was only ever going to be one team winning those battles

On 9 minutes the penny had clearly dropped for Preston as he beat his man easily again and crossed the ball back low for Charles.

Charles hesitated though when a first time shot was called for and although the ball ran to Preston, all the off balance winger was able to do was weakly shoot at the keeper

Just 4 minutes later though, Poole put this right

Preston again cutting in between 2 defenders, proving that both big men have the turning circle of an oil tanker, ran to the by line and as the ball came back to Cann, at the second attempt he smashed the ball past the keeper from close range 1-0

Despite excellent possession and play from Poole, not enough balls were played over the St Neots mountainous defence to turn them which meant that they were able to keep Poole at arms’ length, allowing Poole only long range opportunities which rarely troubled the keeper.

With 2 minutes to go the St Neots number 10 became the crowd favourite as he took a spectacular tumble in the box and got exactly what he deserved – a yellow card

I’m sure he took heed of the gentle “encouragement” he received to get up and continue playing

Half Time 1-0

The second half started very much as the first had ended with Poole being on the front foot and it didn’t take long for the home side to double the lead.

A left cross, low into the box (Poole were learning) had Brooks and the keeper running at the ball and with an ear-shattering crash of broken glass, the keeper’s bottle broke and Brooks got there first.

His instinctive stab hit the keeper, bounced back at Brooks and as the ball ricocheted left Brooks was first there to knock  the ball into the empty net

This strike seemed to wake the visitors up and with the Icelandic looking number 7 pulling the strings in the middle, they suddenly became a threat

Just 4 minutes later Poole were glad that the whistle happy ref didn’t play any advantage as a cross from the right was put in, only to be called back for a free kick just outside the box

From that free kick, a curling shot from their number 11 bounced off the top of the bar with the keeper nowhere near it  - 2 let-offs for the price of 1

This heralded the best 20 minutes for St Neots with Poole mostly hitting on the break.

A Spetch headed goal was ruled out with 15 minutes to go as a foul on the keeper was given, much to the bafflement of players and crowd alike and from then on the visitor’s threat was over.

Somehow, even though it was a clear reprieve, it knocked the wind out of them

Cann had the last 2 chances of the game, both put on a plate by the marauding Preston but both times fierce shots were equalled by the quick reactions of the keeper.

Final score 2-0

Summary – A deserved victory but for me it was a bit disappointing how many high balls were put in against the Peter Crouch tribute back 4 – a total contrast to Tuesday when the ball didn’t get above grass level

When the ball WAS at feet, the play was a joy to watch with excellent passing and movement with all looking comfortable on the ball

Star Man – Preston – Absolutely unstoppable on the wing and was the start of everything good

#Dolphins 3 v 0 #Holt

So here we were again, another cup match – what a surprise. A pre-match Killick interview had more than hinted that the team would be “rotated” but I was pleased to see that a good proportion were still first team players

I was even more pleased that Dibba was playing and that he was captain, although I do suspect that was just so that we could all hear the tannoy announcer saying “skipper Dibba” – I did hope that we’d have a Cat in the Hat match but unfortunately that was where the rhyming ended

As the team lined up with Taff and Lowes  in the middle of the park it did rather look like it was “take your son to work” day but as the old adage goes it’s best to have a blend of youth and experience – although never have the boundaries been pushed so far……..

The game started with Poole very much on the front foot. As early as the 2^nd minute a lovely flighted ball from Taff sent Charles through but he was just beaten to the ball by the keeper

Preston and Elliott were having a lot of success down the wings but it was down the middle that the break through happened

On 14 minutes Taff picked up the ball half way into the Holt half and ran at the defence. As defenders came towards him he rolled back the years and he jinked, bobbled and juggled the ball past them all and passed the ball into the bottom left corner as the keeper ran out : 1-0

The crowd even believed that he’d fully embraced modern culture as they marvelled at his robot celebration – although in truth it was just him getting up from the floor as smoothly as he could…

Five minutes later Poole had their first scare as a long Holt ball was inexplicably punched out, at waist height, by Thomas in goal which caused some confusion before Dibba cleared away

It was, though,  just a temporary jitter as Elliott’s low cross 2 minutes later from the right found Charles in the middle who easily turned his defender and drilled the ball into the bottom right corner : 2-0

On 36 minutes Elliott almost added a third as he cut inside from the right and unleashed a ferocious  shot that was destined for the top left until the keeper, at full stretch, tipped the ball onto the bar

The last moment of note came just before the whistle as a misplaced ball from Taff had him shouting “come on that was a good ball” – at least that’s what I thought he said as his voice rose to such an alarming octave throughout the sentence I wasn’t surprised to see the ground surrounded by stray dogs at full time….

Preston and Clarke came off at half time for Davidson and Swindlehurst and rather than slowing the game up, Poole pressed forward even more.

Wave upon wave of Poole attacks crashed against the Holt defence but stubborn defending kept  Poole at bay

For me, the difference between this game and previous games I’d witnessed was the passing – all along the deck and always going through the midfield

For that play to work, you need a midfielder that can run, tackle and pass and in Lowes I believe Poole have found that player in Lowes. On top of these attributes his balance on the ball was superb which made it all but impossible to knock him off the ball.

He was involved in everything good going forward, from forcing the keeper into a fine low save to his left after riding several tackles on 65 minutes, to threading a ball through to Charles on 70 minutes for the keeper to make yet another fine save (surely Holt’s MOM)

With just 5 minutes to play in an unbelievably scoreless second half, Swindlehurst burst through on the left and used the runners in the middle as dummies before shooting hard at the near post, only for their substitute keeper to make a fine save.

From the corner, who was there, rising like a spawning salmon at the far post but Taff, who headed the ball in from close range

Leg speed is great, but sometimes it’s the speed between your ears that counts and being at the right place at the right time paid dividends – giving Poole a deserved 3-0 win

Summary – That was the best I’ve seen Poole play for a long time. Passing, movement and enthusiasm . I hope that some of the regulars rested for today were taking note as there were players out there really staking their claim.

Lowes is a Devlin mini-me, the Byerley/Charles combination worked well  and with Spetch being trialled at Pompey it was important that the back 4 gelled – which they did very impressively

Star Man – Young Taff – scoring 2 and excellent display of tackling and passing,  showing that his hunger for the game hasn’t diminished one bit

#Dolphins 1 v 1 #wtfc (Poole win 5:4 on Pens)

 So here we were for the Red Insurance Cup – nope – I’d never heard of it either. It’s “appeal” was clearly limited as despite local rivals Wimborne being the visitors, the crowd looked very sparse.

We watched Cummings warm up until he tried the tricky manoeuvre of pulling up his socks and he tweaked an aging hamstring.

What we needed was a level-headed, steady, pillar of a defender to take his place at left back. Killick turned to the obvious choice, Cann.

Poole started well with Elliott getting plenty of ball, and success, on the right. Cann and Davies both had early opportunities, the first being struck over the bar on the volley and the second a good side step and low shot well saved by the keeper.

Then on 13 minutes, Wimborne had their first attack.

Davidson got hold of the ball on the right and charged forward. As he approached the box he cut inside and fired the ball past Thomas in goal to put the visitors ahead 0-1

What we were all expecting was a fierce response from the home side but it seemed we had 2 halves of a team instead of one coherent unit

One half of the team seemed content to hoof the ball up front and just hope something happened. The other, wiser half, played through the strength of the team, the midfield, to move the forward.

Trouble was, Poole couldn’t seem to make its mind up which course to pursue and as a result did neither very well. Players’ touches seemed heavy and final  balls never quite made it to the intended recipient

Wimborne, one league below the hosts, bossed the first half with a lot of good play down both wings with both Poole full backs seemingly happy to let their wingers cut inside and have a shot but Thomas was equal to all that was thrown at him.

In fact, it was Poole that created the next best chance on 30 minutes as Steve “Archie Gemmill” Devlin danced past 4 defenders and as we all shredded our programs to recreate that Argentina ticker-tape experience he was just nudged as he shot and the ball tamely dribbled into the keeper

Less than a minute later, their number 9 burst through the defence and skilfully rounded the keeper. All he had to do was knock the ball into the empty net. Actually, that wasn’t all he had to do, he also had to take the ball with him. A step he seemed to forget and when he moved back to regain the ball, enough of the defence were back to snuff out the danger.

Wimborne finished the half the stronger, and despite a late chance when both Byerley and Elliott swung at the ball and clipped the bar from 12 yards out, Wimborne were worthy of their lead

Half Time 0-1

The second half started after the quickest half time ever (referee clearly on a promise) and Killick’s half time talk had obviously had an effect.

Preston had clearly been marked as the main outlet and he started to terrorize their right back

This had the knock on effect in that the more the defenders moved towards him, the more space was created for the rest of the team.

Cann saw this space on 55 minutes as he used Preston as his dummy runner  and charged forward. A one-two at the edge of the box gave him the chance to shoot but off balance, the keeper saved easily

A minute later, Preston skipped past his marker as he slipped and fired a cross from the left. Byerley came charging in and smashed the ball low only for the keeper to make an unbelievable point blank save with his leg – sending the ball wide for a corner.

He almost hit the ball too well, a scuff would probably have scored – maybe this wasn’t going to be our day

Just as we were all wondering how close the ball had to be before it would go in, we found out.

On 62 minutes, Preston again burst through and sent a defence splitting ball out wide to Elliott. He crossed low and hard into the box and from fully 4 inches Byerley smashed the ball in.

In fairness, it hit the roof of the net so in some respects maybe it was just as well it wasn’t 5 inches out :-)

I did feel sorry for Wazza though as he couldn’t give us all the goal scoring routine he’d been practising for months as his studs got caught up in the net and he lay there like a trussed up chicken

At that point the tannoy announcement was that if the game was level at full time, the game would go straight to penalties.

At the time I couldn’t work out whether the game being extended was a threat or a promise. It was the former.

As the regulars got subbed out the play, somehow, became even more disjointed from Poole and Wimborne resorted to the long ball hit and hope.

The one ray of class shown was by Turner as he fought to regain a ball, then turned his defender inside out before unleashing a venomous shot, well saved to the keeper’s right.

Full Time 1-1

All of a sudden there was a skirmish to my left. Brett Pitman had heard the word penalty and the only way Charlie Daniels and Cummings could stop him from taking them all was by wrestling him to the ground and sitting on his chest

Wimborne started the penalties and with Cann, Preston and Turner all scoring easily to keep the scores level at 3-3, the pressure was mounting.

This proved too much for the 4^th Wimborne penalty taker who went for power and rammed the ball down the middle, only to find that Thomas hadn’t moved and the ball struck him for the vital save

Elliott put Poole 4-3 up for the first time and once Wimborne had levelled the score with their final penalty, it was up to Byerley to take the final one

Up he stepped and coolly slotted the ball to the keeper’s right to win the game 5-4

Summary – A poor quality game that no-one really deserved to win. At half time a friend told me he’d seen worse – I’m still not convinced that wasn’t the drink talking. Poole looked so much better when playing the ball on the deck through the middle but unfortunately the rush to get the ball forward stopped this from happening as often as it should

Star Performer – Dibba – I was so pleased when I saw he was playing as normally, with him in the team the report usually just writes itself – but today he was an absolute rock. Commanding in the air and assured on the floor – best game I’ve seen him play by a country mile

#dolphins 0 v 0 #burnham

I was really looking forward to today – I hadn’t seen Poole Town for a few games and I’d marvelled at their powers of recovery from seemingly hopeless positions

My question to the RWA faithful was, have they got team spirit unrivalled in the league, or have they just been lucky…..?

When asked, bearing in mind that most were wearing a beer overcoat, I’d hate for any of them to take a Jeremy Kyle style lie detector, such was the sweating and shifty eye movement

To be fair, most said (and this mustn’t go back to those in charge) … a tad lucky

I personally was pleased to see Cummings announced in the squad, although that was slightly tempered when I saw his hair. I looked for the earring, tattoo and Harley parked in the car park but they all must be booked for later on….

Also, while I’m at it, Cummings in midfield? What’s that all about? Maybe the Gaffer could see something I hadn’t spotted while I’ve been supporting going to Dean Court, who am I to judge?

I’ve been doing match reports for a while now. I’m not presumptuous enough to think they’ve got any better quality wise, but they’ve certainly become easier to write

You look at what happens, in an unapologetically biased way, then you write it down. It’s simple.

When I’m at the Tatnam, I’m red and white, and will always try to tilt the report in our favour - let's face it, I can't even  be bothered to learn the opposition names.

Today, however, has been a real trial.

Never have I written so little during a game. I have stories of missed opportunities such as when Chappo’s phone was found, unlocked, yet Alex proved too strong to yield to the mounting pressure to text all from the phone about Chappo’s coming out….

Ah well, to the game….

Burnham’s away kit was dazzling in fluorescent yellow very reminiscent of Borussia Dortmund so at least we wouldn’t get confused as to who to pass to…. Or so I thought. At worst they wouldn’t be missed if they had to cycle home

In the first half, Poole had ONE chance. Count that again, ONE

I’m not saying that it wasn’t a good chance, I’m just querying that as the side at home against a team with only 2 wins this season, ONE BLOODY CHANCE!!!

It was a good chance, however, on just 7 minutes – which promised so much more than was delivered during the rest of the game

A Cummings free kick was smashed, point blank, by Spetch, a hero in the previous game, only to be miraculously saved by the keeper. He was a big old unit, as my mate Flakey said, but it was still a great save

That was it. The other 44.5 minutes I was struggling to see what was going on as the play was ALL at the other end.

Burnham were the first to every ball and where, on the very odd occasion they were second, they tackled like terriers and won the ball back

You really did struggle to recognise that Poole were the home side

Saying that, the defence were excellent and Hutchings had little to do.

When Poole did get a break and the lively Preston did get a cross in, it was easy fodder for the keeper

Half time 0-0

What I want to do now, in true Disney style, is say that the Gaffer bo***cked the players and they rose to the challenge

In fairness, they were a little better in the second half but still nowhere near what I’d seen before.

The “highlights” of the second half were two sending off, Oliver with a straight red for what looked like a head butt (if you saw the Larry Olivier performance of their player) and their 6 for a cynical foul on Preston right in front of me

The rest of the half it was same old same old…. Poor passing and poor movement

I was still in the bar (drowning my sorrows) as the game restarted so as I don’t know when it restarted exactly I can only say that at 16:43 Poole had their best chance as Gillespie nudged a near post cross wide

That’s it FT 0-0

Summary – The poorest performance I’ve witnessed at the Tatnam. No cohesion, no passion, no quality. I think I must have the answer to my first question – Poole Town, on this performance, must have been very lucky in past games

Today they could have easily lost. The defence deserves some credit as it was a clean sheet and Gillespie was full of running but if this is what the side looks like without Devlin I hope to God he’s back soon

Maybe I’m doing Burnham a disservice – today they were the better side and I believe will recover from a slightly shaky start to the season – for me that makes the day a little easier than just saying Poole were rubbish…

Star Man – Spetch – Resolute in defence and was on the end of the best chance to get a very undeserved victory

#dolphins 2 v 1 #Biggleswade

This was my second Poole Town game in a week – does this mean that I’m now allowed into the RWA clan? – I was allowed to sit on the “regulars” bench – it fair brought a tear to my eye

Not, in fairness, as much as watching the ex-team mascot drink his bodyweight in lager, except for the pint that he threw over his lifelong chauffeur (and there’s no “indication” of an end to that)

Still, from those of us in the know, bravo sir!!!!

The game started with the usual handshakes which are normally boring but for the Cann hang-time after the formalities were over….

 

So, we’re playing a side with a comic name that I’ve never heard of – this is going to be easy, right?

Well, the way the game started, you’d think so. In the first 2 minutes Devlin, Gillespie and Preston all had smart, low shots all well save by the Biggleswade keeper, who would get my opposition man of the match nomination

The first 15 minutes were all Poole with the ball hardly making it out of the opposition half, spurred on by rousing shouts of “winners winners winners” from the defence that have bonded as if there never was a #terra in their midst…

One time Biggleswade did make it out of their half their number 11 (Woolf?) screamed “how many more times?” at a perceived foul – I shouted “it’s only been 10 minutes” and he looked like he was going to reply but decided against it – good man – restraint is something to be applauded

Biggleswade’s first chance came on 15 minutes when a good move down the right fell to Lewis (No 8) and he fired over the bar from the edge of the box

On 19 minutes a cross from the left was met with a full blooded header from Davies which the keeper did well to parry but the ball fell to Gillespie whose point blank shot was again brilliantly saved – who were we up against, Joe Hart? (ok true we’d be winning by now….)

On 24 minutes, superman turned into the great spectator as he could do nothing to stop Poole Town from finally taking the lead.

A ball was played into Preston with his back to goal on the edge of the box and he collected, pirouetted and smashed it into the top right corner. There were some isolated calls for offside but even the keeper looked like he applauded as he picked the ball up – a touch of class from him as it looked like it needed that kind of strike to beat him

The game seemed to play itself out for the rest of the half with the unthinkable happening – Biggleswade were coming back into it

A couple of half chances saw shots go straight at Thomas and marginally wide but the best chance came in injury time when Preston was harshly adjudged to have fouled just outside the box and the resultant free kick was struck well by Daniel (No 6) and was well held by Thomas to his right

While we’re at it, I was surprised to see Devlin play after his previous red, especially as Hutchings hadn’t made the team. I suppose maybe Hutchings  is still sitting in the naughty corner….

Half time and it’s 1-0 and all looking pretty good for Poole

Poole started confidently in the second half with Preston and Gillespie causing havoc with their intelligent runs -  both having chances just going wide, with Gillespie going closest on 63 minutes as he cut in from the right and sent a low shot crashing towards to the corner, only for super-keeper to save again

Then something happened. It could be a coincidence. It might not, but the captain was substituted for Byerley.

Now I’m no fan of a captain playing up front – to me it’s like having the parrot steer the pirate ship rather than Blackbeard.

But the change was made and not for the good as far as Poole was concerned

Poole forgot how to pass, tackle, shoot, run, walk, stand, swear………

But that’s doing Biggleswade an injustice. A team that had looked disjointed all of sudden pulled together and gelled like team that really WANTED to win

Reminiscent of the Bayern / Chelsea game Biggleswade lay siege on the Poole goal and only resolute defence kept Biggleswade out, until just the 83^rd minute when a cross from the left caused mayhem in the penalty box and Reed poked home from close range

The score was now 1-1 and no-one could deny that they deserved it – I just hoped that we could hold on for the draw

It was back against the wall until the 90^th minute, when Poole broke against the run of play and got  a corner

In fairness, when the whistle went I’d hoped it was the end of the game. I’d only been to one game this season and that had stopped Poole’s 100% results so I didn’t want to bring any worse to the team

But as the ball was floated over, James Whisken staked his claim to be new cult hero as he soared above the Biggleswade defence and powered his header towards goal. Then, Gillespie, like a goal poaching ninja snuck in between two defenders vying to clear the ball and headed it home from close range

Against the run of play, against all odds, Poole had won 2-1

Summary – A very good first half but concentration went in the second and a game which should have been easily won in the first 45 could so easily have been lost. As I write this, I’m still metaphorically scratching my head as to how they pulled this result out. Hopefully this will be a valuable lesson learnt today – the game is a 90 minute game and at this level, any dip in focus will see points slip through fingers

Star Man – Gillespie – Not only for the last minute goal (although this did help) but for the tireless, clever running that had the Biggleswade defence not know whether they were coming or going

 

Action Picture

 

Poole Town Fans enjoying a cola

 

 

#dolphins 2 v 2 #terras

A hot Bank Holiday Monday – what could better than El Jurassico – Poole against Weymouth. With Walker and Burbidge having moved from Poole to Weymouth in the close season there was a little extra spice, with some light hearted booing coming from the home fans

Tuna fishing has got a bad reputation recently as Dolphins are often caught up in the nets – today the fishermen of Poole must have been confused as either a tuna fish or the smallest porpoise known to man led the teams out (sorry Alex)

The game kicked off with Weymouth showing a move straight from the training ground – one pass to another then a hoof for a goal kick – class

The Weymouth fans took up the bus shelter behind the goal and were in fine voice, even with a drum. The red and white army were strangely subdued despite Poole’s brighter start

On 7 minutes Poole actually had the ball in the net as Devlin went up with the keeper and the shot-stopper inexplicably threw the ball into his own net, only for a free kick to be given against Devlin – the first weird decision of the day but definitely not the last

Weymouth then came much more into the game and were having a lot of success down the right wing. Poole were left with half chances on the break with Preston being the leading light – if only the strikers gambled more to get into the box surely his work would have been rewarded.

On 30 minutes Yelton was presented with Weymouth’s best chance but he air shot his right foot volley from 6 yards – no doubt blinded by Hutchings’ garish kit – a kit so bright not even the Millwall kit man could miss it…

The ball spent so much time at the other end of the pitch in the Poole area I started looking for looky likeys in the crowd – I spotted Rod Stewart but I was advised not to publish the picture….

On 40 minutes a Poole free kick from the left was tucked in by Spetch on the far post – another curious decision ensued because it didn’t look like it had been flicked on at any point so offside seemed almost an impossibility

With just seconds to go in the first half, far too much time was given to Weymouth on the right (again) and the resultant cross went in (somehow) off Yelton (or is it Yetton, according to sky) to put the Terras deservedly in the lead

Half Time 0-1

In my haste to get to my now best friend (Flakey), who had got the beers in, I almost missed Brett Pitman, Jason Pearce and Warren Cummings in the crowd but later I saw Brett display a hitherto unseen turn of speed – what a pity it was to get to the ice-cream van rather than bearing down on a Championship goal

The second half started and within 4 minutes the game seemed over. The ball bounced high and Devlin jumped at the ball against his opponent and the Weymouth midfielder went down as if shot by a sniper

It must be bad, we all thought, he’s not moved a muscle. The presentation of the straight red card, however, seemed as magical as the old school cold, wet sponge because as soon as it was brandished, the guy jumped up like he’d been given an electric shock and took up his position

“It’s a miracle” we all thought, even if It did come out “referee you’ve been conned you *&^%$”

Oh well – damage limitation time

No – Not on Tom Killick’s 500^th game. Instead he took off Oliver and Elliott and brought on Brooks and Gillespie – surely the most attacking changes he could have made

On 56 minutes Preston fired over the bar and 3 minutes later, the unbelievable happened. A low cross was fired in from the right and Gillespie, like any true goal poacher, ran through the 6 yard box and met the ball with a cheeky back-heel that wrong footed the keeper and spun the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal

Poole had equalised – with 10 men!!!

Three minutes later a Weymouth cross from the right was turned in at the far post but the Weymouth cheers were cut short by the linesman’s offside flag.

The Red and White Army were still mocking the Weymouth fans by “pretending” they had scored, when Poole did it for real!!!

This time it was Cann that split the defence with an inch perfect pass to Gillespie, who controlled the ball and slotted it past the on-rushing keeper to make the game 2-1

I’ve said it once but it’s worth reiterating – this is with 10 MEN !!

I thought that important to mention as it wasn’t 10 for long. The referee seemed to book Hutchings for time wasting and then, from where I stood, Hutchings seemed to tap the ref on the head sarcastically.

Now, I was a long way away, so maybe this wasn’t how it happened – to be fair, as I write this it seems so ridiculously stupid that it couldn’t have happened, could it? Either way, the yellow turned red and off he trot (well, walked)

Thomas took his place which meant that Davies was sacrificed which was a real shame for him as he was having a blinder.

10 men on a hot day is hard, 9 men is nigh on impossible. Luckily for Poole the ref decided that they’d been penalised enough so that even had they’d set about Weymouth with a baseball bat, no decisions would go against them

Even with the referee back on side – it was never going to be enough and it was the former Poole Winger Burbidge that made the extra man count. Cutting in from the right he smashed his shot into the top left corner. With 10 men outfield maybe he could have been closed down – with 8 there was no chance – in fairness it was a very good goal

It was backs against the wall for the last 12 minutes and the whistle came to Poole’s relief

Summary – A poor start and some indifferent refereeing decisions went against Poole but the spirit they showed when down to 10 men should bear them in good stead for the games to come

Star Man – An easy choice would be Gillespie for the 2 goals but for me the player that made things happen and was the difference on the day was Preston – a real threat all day

 

Poole unveil new terracing