Poole Town’s quest to find a new home could be dealt another blow this week.

The football club’s latest plans for a new ground at Bearwood look set to be recommended for refusal by Poole council officers.

The Dolphins’ dreams of a Wembley cup final were crushed on Saturday when they lost out in their FA Vase semi-final against Whitley Bay.

But the news their £2million plans for a home ground near Canford Park Arena may be rejected could be more damaging to the non-league club in the long term.

A new ground is crucial to the Dolphins’ hopes of climbing the non-league ladder.

However, Chris Reeves, Poole Town’s vice-chairman, is remaining upbeat ahead of the final planning meeting on April 14. He said: “We believe that there are a lot of positives in the planning officer’s report.

“There is plenty of potential for councillors on the planning board to overturn the recommendation and grant our application.

“We are not asking the council for a penny or an inch of land. There has been a lot of support for our plans and a distinct lack of objections.”

It is thought the stumbling block is the site’s historical designation as employment land, though it is currently only used for the Canford Magna car boot sale every Sunday.

The Bearwood scheme is the club’s latest in their 17-year quest to find a permanent home in the borough.

Unlike Poole Town’s previous bid to build a ground on Branksome Rec, the Bearwood proposals have received very little opposition.

The application will be heard by Poole planners at the Hamworthy Club, Canford Magna, on April 14.