MANAGER Tom Killick reckons table-topping Poole Town deserve a few more plaudits for setting the pace ahead of their big-spending Southern League rivals.

Dolphins hit the road tomorrow for a crunch clash with third-placed title rivals Corby Town (3pm) having established a three-point lead at the summit courtesy of Tuesday's 1-0 over Dunstable Town.

The well-resourced Duns - currently 11th in the Premier Division - named ex-Cherries midfielder Steven Gregory, a first-team regular in League One for Gillingham last season, and full-back Ben Herd, who racked up more than 300 Football League appearances with Shrewsbury and Aldershot.

And while Killick insisted his sights remain focused on lifting the league title this season, he was quick to point out the financial clout of Poole's championship adversaries.

Killick told the Daily Echo: “I want expectations round the club to be high, we want to get out of this league so I have no problem with the supporters expecting promotion.

“But sometimes people have to understand that there are clubs in this league committing a lot of funding and attracting high-quality players to try and do the same.

“I think we are doing exceptionally well to be ahead of the pack and significantly ahead of some well-resourced clubs. If you look at our position compared with Dunstable's with the players they have, our lads deserve a lot of credit.

“Sometimes people lose sight of the fact there are seven, eight, nine clubs who want to do what we're trying to do. We have no divine right to be up there and some people need to realise the size of the task.”

Killick went on to predict the Corby match could be a corker with Poole buoyed by their resolute midweek showing.

“I am pleased to be going there on the back of the Dunstable game because they gave us more problems than any other side has this season," he added. "Corby will be powerful and strong so it set us up well.

“If you play a game that you cruise through, it can be difficult to start well against one of the better sides. It will be no less difficult against Corby so it was ideal.”

Dolphins: (from) Hutchings, Tallack, Jermyn, Martin, Walker, Davis, Whisken, Pettefer, Burbidge, Devlin, Roberts, Brooks, Maloney, Gillespie, Munday, Manley.