POOLE Town boss Tom Killick insisted pulling off a great escape from relegation in National South would be “by far the best achievement I have ever had”.

The Dolphins boss, whose side is five points from safety with four games to go, tomorrow host promotion-chasing Hampton & Richmond (7.45pm).

Killick has guided Dolphins from the Wessex League to National South since he took over in May 2004.

Poole earned a fighting chance of remaining in the division after a 2-1 victory over Wealdstone on Saturday.

Killick told the Daily Echo: “I am not saying we shouldn’t be very disappointed by being in the position we are in but, if we could somehow pull ourselves out of it, it would be by far the best achievement I have ever had.

“We have missed out and gained promotions before but, when you gain a promotion, you are gaining something you haven’t had. It’s a slightly different feeling.

“Now, it’s something we have which is possibly being taken away from us. To me, it’s a much more difficult situation.

“People don’t understand the difficulties we face in trying to hold our own in this league.

“This league is the league to be in, there is so much good about it in terms of the places you go and even things like media coverage – it is just head and shoulders above.

“We will fight to the end and, if it’s good enough, it would just be amazing.

“I have a big attachment to the players and my desperation is for them because – I know people will say the league table doesn’t lie – but I just feel they deserve to be playing in National South.”

Victory could see Dolphins close to two points the gap on fellow relegation candidates Concord Rangers, who they visit in five days.

Fourth-placed Hampton have stuttered of late, with one league win from their past six outings.

“Everything turned out well on Saturday but we have to back it up. That is what we haven’t done enough,” added Killick.

“We have had good results in isolation but what we haven’t done is put any sort of positive sequence together. For the first time all season that is what we need to do.

“We are a little bit invigorated in terms of morale and that sometimes alleviates a bit of fatigue in the legs and gives people who are struggling an impetus to carry on.

“In this type of situation there are a lot of teams where morale would be completely shattered, there would be all sorts of divisions all over the place.

“Because the players have been together a long time, they stick together and that is the most pleasing thing.”

Poole’s Marvin Brooks serves the final match of his four-game ban.

Dolphins (from): Hutchings, Lindsay, Smeeton, Spetch, Balmer, Whisken, Pettefer, Alawode-Williams, Devlin, Constable, Moore, Walker, Bentley, Rees, Gillespie, Leslie-Smith.