POOLE Town received a lesson in the harsh realities of National South football as expensively-assembled Ebbsfleet dismantled Tom Killick’s newcomers 4-0.

A Dean Rance rocket, an opportunistic brace from Danny Kedwell and a howitzer from the irrepressible Jack Powell put Dolphins to the sword at Stonebridge Road.

After a shaky start which saw them concede after nine minutes, Poole had threatened to work their way back into the contest late in the first half.

But a moment of hesitancy four minutes after the restart proved costly and in truth, the visitors laboured as substitutions gave the 2008 FA Trophy winners a second wind.

Manager Killick put together a familiar-looking team with Luke Roberts preferred up front to summer recruit Lee Wort and Richard Gillespie.

Ex-Cherries youngster Ryan Case came in at left-back with Will Spetch reverting to centre-half in place of the suspended Michael Walker.

Ebbsfleet soon established a foothold in terms of possession but while the visitors looked slightly nervous on the ball, they created two moments of promise on the break.

Abdulai Baggie picked the pocket of Sean Shields and rolled Roberts down the left but the ex-AFC Totton striker’s effort across goal was comfortably grasped by Nathan Ashmore.

Then Case pinched the ball on the left before finding Baggie in the box with a half clearance falling for Carl Pettefer to drag wide from 18 yards.

The blue touch paper was lit when Jordan Parkes’s shot was charged down by Spetch but the ricochet was sent flying into the top corner by Rance's blistering first-time hit from 20 yards.

Poole sought a swift route back into the game but they were dealt a blow when Marvin Brooks limped off appearing to hold his knee. He was replaced by Wort.

The visitors continued to probe and were left frustrated when an intricate passage of play on the edge of the box ended with Wort scuffing into the grateful hands of Ashmore.

At the other end, Parkes unleashed a thunderous drive from the corner of the box which Nick Hutchings had to be alert to smother.

Shields then dug out a cross to the far post which dropped kindly for Fleet skipper Danny Kedwell but his snapshot was covered by Poole counterpart Jamie Whisken.

But as menacing as United looked in attack, Poole steadily settled and forced a series of cynical fouls as the half drew to a close.

The visitors could have levelled when a cavalier pass back to Ashmore almost presented Baggie with an open goal but the giant stopper recovered just in time.

Baggie’s swirling free-kick was glanced by Wort into Ashmore’s hands as Poole upped the ante in the build-up to half-time but remained a goal down at the interval.

United switched to a flat back four from the restart and the game was soon taken away from the Dolphins.

Jack Powell latched on to a loose ball in the middle of the park and released Kedwell to stride past Spetch, into the box and lash across Hutchings.

It could have been three when a low centre from the right looked impossible to defend with Kedwell nudging against the far post before Poole scrambled the ball to safety.

The tempo slowed down but Fleet found another gear midway through the second half. 

And when substitute Anthony Cook galloped down the left to pick out Kedwell, the bullish frontrunner calmly planted home a header from close range.

Number four arrived when Powell opened up Poole with a perfectly-weighted cross-field pass to release Cook, who was unceremoniously upended by Poole substitute Nilo Zanchetta.

Powell stepped up and curled home a delightful free-kick from just outside the left corner of the box that had too much pace for Hutchings to get close to.

Try as they might, Dolphins could not muster a serious threat late on as the match petered out.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, Shields, Connors, Clark, Winfield, Greenidge (Fish, h-t), Rance, Parkes (Kissock, 68), Kedwell, McQueen (Cook, 60), Powell. Unused subs: Miles, Deering.

Booked: Kedwell, Greenidge, Parkes, Kissock.

Dolphins: Hutchings, Lindsay, Case, Spetch, Whisken, Pettefer, Burbidge, Devlin, Roberts (Zanchetta, 72), Brooks (Wort, 17), Baggie (Gillespie, 72). Unused subs: Davis, Rees (g/k).

Booked: Zanchetta, Spetch.

Attendance: 1,031.