POOLE Town hit the front early and produced a professional display to ease past Hastings United 2-0 in a largely uneventful FA Cup tie at Pilot Field.

Captain Jamie Whisken and Marvin Brooks were the beneficiaries of some generous defending from set pieces at either end of the first half as the Dolphins made the fourth and final qualifying round for the third time in 10 years.

Manager Tom Killick made one change from Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Paulton Rovers with ex-Cherries striker Alan Connell replacing loanee Corby Moore. Luke Roberts shifted across to the left wing.

Poole made the perfect start when Steve Devlin’s deep free kick found Michael Walker to head back across goal and Connell’s scramble for the ball dropped kindly for Whisken to coolly slot inside the near post.

Sam Cole’s thumped cross from the left was headed over at the near post by Jack Harris as Hastings tried to hit straight back but chances were few and far between until Brooks attempted to light the blue touch paper.

The midfielder set off on a driving run through the centre but his low, stabbed effort was blocked at close quarters by Us keeper Josh Pelling.

Poole continued to stand firm, poised for their chance to net a killer second and it arrived during a sustained spell of pressure as the clock ticked towards the interval.

Home defender Alfie Hall made a hash of a volleyed clearance which allowed Luke Burbidge to cut inside and force a high, fingertip save from Pelling.

United’s back door continued to creak from the corner as Walker ghosted across his marker with ease to sidefoot across goal, only for Pelling to push his effort round his left upright.

But the keeper’s heroics were to no avail as from the second flag kick, Brooks powered his header from six yards back across goal to net number two a minute before the break.

The second half started in understandably timid fashion as the visitors successfully stifled the game before going close to grabbing a third on 62 minutes. A clipped, deep free kick from Devlin found Walker but Pelling pulled off another smart stop.

Home boss Garry Wilson brought on striker Bright Temba for Hall with 18 minutes to go but Dolphins still carried the greater threat.

Substitute Jack Dickson played a delightful first-time ball into the channel for Luke Roberts to earn a corner and then Walker sliced high when well placed from a corner.

The visitors suffered a rare scare when Billy Medlock almost netted from a far-post scramble and Hastings ratcheted up the pressure late on.

Referee Aji Ajibola emphatically waved away handball appeals when Harris’s shot from a driven cross hit the arm of Whisken in the penalty area before Ollie Rowe slammed into the side netting on the rebound.

Hutchings flapped at a high cross but recovered to push over Medlock’s shot in stoppage time of a tie settled by Poole’s ability to get the basics right.

Hastings: Pelling, Crabb, Hall (Temba, 72), Rowe, Vickers, Walder, Medlock, Johnson, Adams (Cruttwell, 65), Harris, Cole. Unused subs: Ray, Hollobone, Richardson-Brown, Hanifan, Rose.

Dolphins: Hutchings, Tallack, Spetch, Walker, Whisken, Pettefer, Burbidge (Moore, 88), Devlin, Connell (Dickson, 68), Brooks (Lindsay, 86), Roberts. Unused subs: Collins (g/k).

Goals: Whisken 3, Brooks 44.

Booked: Dickson, 73.

Attendance: 735.