POOLE Town chairman Chris Reeves stressed the confidence he had in his set-up and vowed “we will bounce back” from relegation.

Tom Killick’s men were powerless to beat the drop despite a 2-0 victory over Oxford City at Black Gold Stadium on Saturday.

Goals from James Constable and Steve Devlin earned Poole three points but with Hungerford winning 1-0 at East Thurrock, Dolphins slipped through the trap door back to the Southern League.

Club chief Reeves told the Daily Echo: "I’ve got huge confidence in Tom and huge confidence in the players. We will bounce back from this.

“The core of the squad are in the middle of two-year contracts, so we will go into the summer with huge optimism about putting together a very strong squad to challenge for the Southern Premier.

“We have had 13 years of unmitigated success and, before Tom joined us, we also had several years of success. That is what this club is about.

“This season has been a blip but the past six or eight weeks has demonstrated what our potential still is.

“They say you don’t miss what you have until you’re on the verge of losing it. We were desperate to retain our status in National South and now we are desperate to get it back.

“There is a clutch of terrific, solid clubs in the Southern Premier with good facilities and decent budgets. It won’t be easy but we will be up there among them.”

Reeves revealed the likes of Jamie Whisken, Corby Moore, Steve Devlin, Will Spetch, Marvin Brooks and Luke Roberts were all contracted to stay at Poole next season.

He also admitted the emotion of their final-day relegation was a bitter pill to swallow.

“I don’t think I have ever been so disappointed after winning a football match,” he added.

“The players were terrific and we could not have asked any more of them. If we had this group available to us for the whole season then we probably would have been pushing for the play-offs.

“We have had an incredible run of injuries and it’s a hard league. Bognor finished bottom and they are not a bad side.

“I suppose every chairman is going to say his club is special but I firmly believe this is a special club. We have a terrific atmosphere in the dressing room and among the supporters.”