POOLE Town boss Tom Killick blamed a potent cocktail of “poor finishing and weak defending” as the reigning champions suffered a shock at Tatnam.
Two goals from former Dolphins striker Floyd Hamadou, either side of an Andy Culliford strike, handed Blackfield and Langley a surprise 2-1 victory and highlighted the more even nature of this season’s Wessex Premier Division.
Poole romped to the championship last term but they haven’t had it all their own way this season, something which was again demonstrated on Saturday.
“We’ve always said last season was an exception,” admitted Killick.
“This time we’ve got to hang on in there. It’s going to be a closer run thing.”
With the title race likely to be tight, Killick believes his team should be well prepared to deal with the pressure.
“The nucleus of the side has been together for some time and we have got to believe in each other,” he said.
Poole Town: Jones, Poore (Fisk, 83), Lloyd, Whitley, P Smith, Preston, Hubbard, T Smith, Gill (Dovell, 60), Culliford, Cook (S Smith, 65). Unused subs: Spetch, Ackerman.
• Roy Viner’s last-gasp equaliser denied high-flying Bournemouth Poppies and earned Lymington Town a 2-2 draw at Victoria Park.
Trailing to Joe Kittle’s 61st-minute strike, Poppies looked to have earned the points when they hit back through Dave Wrixton and Ollie Phillipson-Masters.
Poppies: Harvell, Arnold, Byrne, Peprah-Annan, Crutcher, Blake, Wrixton, Phillipson-Masters, Wilson, M Toy (Sanderson, 65), Cann. Unused subs: K Chengadu, Hall, Jones, Vaughan.
• Former Linnets frontman Dave Ewen bagged a second-half brace to secure a 3-1 win for Brockenhurst at his old club New Milton Town.
The hosts led through Ashley Booker at Fawcett’s Field but Fawzi Saadi equalised before Ewen took centre stage.
New Milton Town: Webb, R Chengadu, Clarke, Colman, Byers, Walliss (Gunn, 73), Kenna (Quinn, 82), Mead, Burt, Lilley, Booker.
• In Division One, Ringwood+Town">Ringwood Town hammered Farnborough North End 5-0, with goals from Carl Fleet (2), Mark Burrett and Ryan Bladen (2).
Elsewhere, Matt Newbery got both goals as Verwood+Town">Verwood Town beat AFC Aldermaston 2-0.
Verwood Town: Fawcett, Evans, Lynch, Jamison, Murray (Kelly, 60), Homer, Arnold (Martin Newbery, 80), Dyer, Faulkner (Goodall, 60), Elysee, Matt Newbery.
• Ringwood gained three valuable points with a resounding 5-0 home win over Farnborough North End.
Carl Fleet set Ringwood on their way before former skipper Mark Burrett made it two. Fleet added the third after the break and the points were secured with two Ryan Bladen goals.
Ringwood Town: Page, Russon, Old, Drew, Vigar, Burge, Yeats (Hardy, 75), Hetherington, Thompson (Bladen, h-t), Fleet (Bellows, 65), Burrett.
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