NEITHER dug out could deny Dan Cann’s super strike was a rare shining light in this derby date as Poole Town’s skipper ultimately ended Bashley’s stubborn resistance.

Cann’s contribution came after defender Jamie Whisken had bundled home from a goalmouth scramble at the end of a first half where bottom club Bash were content to frustrate their high-flying visitors.

See all the pictures of Bashley v Poole Town in a gallery here

But after latching on to Marvin Brooks’s flick, Cann bagged his third league goal this season by swivelling to hit a powerful left-foot shot on the turn which flew past Nic Jones.

Substitute Michael Charles then converted Ekow Elliott’s centre to complete Poole's 3-0 triumph with 11 minutes to play.  

Bash’s joint-boss Paul Gazzard admitted Cann’s goal was “worthy of winning any game” while Town's assistant-manager James Wood lauded the striker’s moment of magic as Dolphins kept on track their promotion push.

Wood told the Daily Echo: “It was a very good strike and Dan has looked sharp in his past few games. He held his ground well as you would expect but the turn and shot which followed was excellent and it really settled things down for us.

“Dan has always been one of our strongest performers but he has played particularly well lately. We have asked him to bring more goals to his game which, hopefully, he has started to do.

“The goal came at a perfect time. We needed that second because no matter how well you have played you never want to go into the closing stages 1-0 up at the mercy of mistakes or decisions going against you.”

On the match, Wood continued: “Credit to Bashley, they were a well organised side. They defended very deep and in those situations you have to move the ball quickly which proved very difficult on a bobbly pitch.

“But once we got the goal they had to come out of their shell which gave us the opportunity to exploit the spaces they had left.

“It was not our greatest display but the lads worked very hard and we have to be pleased with three points and a clean sheet from a tricky fixture on the road.”

Meanwhile, Gazzard largely agreed with Wood’s assessment but was left to rue shipping a sloppy opener after a resolute first-half performance.

Gazzard said: “Overall, it was probably a fair result but we were disappointed with two of their goals. Dan Cann’s strike was worthy of winning any game and Poole deserved to win but possibly not by such a margin.

“We had a game plan and we stuck to it pretty well. We let them have the ball in their own half but pressed them on the halfway line while trying to hit them on the counter.

“It nearly worked and we had three presentable chances before they scored but just couldn’t put the ball in the net.

"Their (first) goal was disappointing because we had the chance to give it the laces. We didn’t do that and Poole capitalised. They have the knowhow to win matches at this level and we have to aspire to that.”

Bash: Jones, Roberts, Flint, Strickland, Marden, Morris (Bulpitt, 72), Colson, Satterley, Joyce, Odam, Blackmore. Unused subs: Edwards, Gazzard, Brookes, Stubbs.

Dolphins: Thomas, Clarke (Charles, h-t), Spetch, Martin, Whisken, Devlin, Pettefer, Davies (Elliott, 72), Preston, Brooks, Cann (Byerley, 75). Unused subs: Richardson, Lowes.