POOLE Town manager Tom Killick admits the penny may have finally dropped with him regarding Ekow Elliott’s best position.

Killick said Elliott had been “unfortunate” to have been something of a bit-part player during his debut season with the Dolphins in the Southern Premier League.

The 23-year-old, who joined Poole from Wessex Premier champions Blackfield & Langley in the summer, had been used sparingly as a winger before flourishing in a central striker’s role.

Elliott, a sports assistant at Bournemouth University, has played a key role in helping revive Poole’s play-off hopes, bagging the only goal in their past two games, wins against St Albans and Hitchin Town.

Killick told the Daily Echo: “I think Ekow has probably been unfortunate in not being selected more often and perhaps I have been guilty of picking people on reputation and he has missed out because he is a newcomer and has come from a lower level.

“I know it has taken me a while to realise but I probably could have been braver in my selection in the past because I had a feeling he had the attributes to be a good forward.

“When you play wide, there is a responsibility when the other team has the ball. That is less of an issue when you play up front and he has been a revelation in our past two games and probably been man of the match in both. It is a big boost for us and, when I look back, it is probably something I should have done a bit sooner.”

Elliott netted with an assured finish after 53 minutes as the weary Dolphins registered a 1-0 win over Hitchin Town at Tatnam on Tuesday. Poole’s second win on the trot, which came following a hat-trick of dispiriting defeats, left them four points adrift of the top five with four games remaining.

Their gruelling end to the season continues with the visits of second-placed Chesham tonight (7.45pm) and third-placed Cambridge City on Saturday (3pm). Poole also host Bashley on Easter Monday before bringing down the curtain on their league campaign against Arlesey Town at Tatnam on April 26.

Dolphins: Hutchings, Davis, Martin, Wannell, Whisken, Pettefer, Burbidge (Chiedozie, h-t), Devlin (Davies, 67), Elliott (Gillespie, 79), Preston, Brooks. Unused subs: Lowes, Thomas (g/k).

  • Bashley, despite taking a shock first-half lead through Brad Strickland, were eventually beaten 3-1 at Hungerford in the Southern Premier League on Tuesday, while Ben Osborne’s double earned Hamworthy United a 2-1 win at Horndean in Wessex Premier.