BOSS Tom Killick is backing Poole Town to hold their nerve as the race for Division One South & West promotion reaches a potentially-gripping climax.

Killick insists the newly-promoted Dolphins are experiencing a “far greater pressure” than they did when they coasted to a hat-trick of Wessex League crowns.

Defeat by fellow high-fliers Hungerford on Saturday saw Poole cling on to the final play-off berth after challengers North Leigh were beaten by runaway leaders Bideford.

Killick’s men will be hoping to bounce back and put some daylight between themselves and the chasing pack when they host 16th-placed Taunton at Tatnam tonight (7.45pm).

“It is a far greater pressure and the environment is more tense in the Southern League,” said Killick. “But, as a club, we are delighted to be involved because it would have been easy to come up and just been also-rans.

“We had a crowd of more than 450 on Saturday and that is down to how well we have done so far this season.

“When we won the Wessex League in the first two years, we knew we weren’t able to go up so the progression of the club wasn’t at stake. When we won it last year, we won it at a canter so weren’t really under pressure.

“Only time will tell whether the players can cope with the pressure but I know they have got a real hunger to be successful. There are a number of teams vying for the play-offs and we have no divine right to get in there. I hope we will have enough.”

Killick is hoping to bolster his resources for the run-in and has made enquiries for Portsmouth defender Lewis Tallack and Havant & Waterlooville striker Alex Baldacchino, who is currently on loan to New Milton Town.

He is keen to draft in Tallack on a short-term basis to help ease a defensive shortage with Rhys Baggridge set to return to Yeovil Town following the expiry of his loan after the visit of Taunton.

Killick is also set to be without defender Sam Clarke for around three weeks after he sustained an ankle injury against Hungerford, while Kevin Gill starts a three-match suspension on Saturday.

And after missing out to Bashley on striker Richard Gillespie a couple of weeks ago, Killick is hoping to add to his firepower options by dual registering pint-sized hitman Baldacchino.

Sam Bayston is expected to be named on the bench against Taunton, while Keith Emmerson is again absent as he is still on duty with the Army football team.

Dolphins: (from) Hutchings, Spetch, Baggridge, Walker, Howes, Brooks, Devlin, Joyce, Preston, Cann, Gill, Pinder, Smith, Richardson, Skelton, Bayston.