MANAGER Tom Killick blasted the performance of referee Adam Penwell after he was sent to the stands during Poole Town’s incident-packed 4-2 win over Frome.

Killick was dismissed after marching down the touchline to confront Penwell who had taken no action against visiting defender Josh Ford for his reaction to Michael Charles’ late tackle.

A mass skirmish ensued but only Charles was booked, a decision which left the Tatnam manager enraged.

“Michael, quite rightly, got a yellow card but the reaction of their players basically constituted an assault,” said Killick.

“He (Charles) said he had been hit four or five times but the referee indicated there was nothing wrong which everyone in the ground could see was ludicrous.

“That shouldn’t happen on a football pitch and when the offender gets away with absolutely no punishment while referees regularly dish out yellow cards for trips and minor dissent, you start to wonder what it’s all about.

“It really grates when someone is the perpetrator of that level of violence and no action gets taken.”

That was just one of several controversial calls made by the Weston-super-Mare-based official with Frome insistent Will Spetch should have been sent off on the stroke of half-time.

The Dolphins defender appeared to deny veteran striker Matt Groves an obvious goalscoring opportunity, with Killick understanding of his opponents’ frustrations.

Poole’s boss added: “Their forward was at a bit of an angle but was clean through with a significant chance of scoring.

"I feared the worst but the referee’s decision went in our favour and it was the first of many incorrect ones.

“Sometimes players have games where they can’t do anything right and I suppose referees are entitled to have days where they are incapable of making any correct decisions. Unfortunately, that’s what happened.”

Goals from Jamie Whisken and Ekow Elliott put Poole in the driving seat before Frome’s Jack Vallis thumped home a close-range header seconds before the interval.

The hosts were rocked when Kris Miller levelled from the penalty spot after Penwell ruled that Elliott had handled a deep cross, but Steve Devlin’s dipping 30-yard rocket quickly restored Dolphins’ advantage.

Devlin then rounded off the scoring five minutes later when Poole were awarded their own spot kick for a trip on Elliott, while Frome had striker Ricky Hulbert dismissed for violent conduct two minutes from time.

On the match, Killick said: “I was really pleased with how we played in the first half. We were vibrant, energetic and caused them problems.

“Everything seemed to be going our way but the goal before half-time deflated us and gave them a lift. They were in the ascendency in the second half and at 2-2 you wouldn’t have wanted to pick a winner.

“But Devs has produced a goal out of nothing and that proved the difference in the end.

“We looked a bit more like our old selves and seem to be heading in the right direction. Whichever way you look at it, we have managed three wins on the spin at a very crucial time.”

Killick hopes injured duo Carl Pettefer and Richard Gillespie will recover in time for tomorrow’s trip to Corby Town (7.45pm).

Dolphins: Thomas, Muleba, Spetch, Martin, Whisken, Elliott, Burbidge (Preston, 57), Devlin, Charles (Turner, 80), Brooks, Davies (Lowes, 78). Unused subs: Dibba, O’Flaherty (g/k).