MANAGER Tom Killick has urged Poole Town to keep crushing the spirit of their fellow challengers having laid down a midweek marker in their championship quest.

Dolphins face arguably the sternest test of their Southern League title credentials so far in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at big-spending St Neots Town (3pm).

Saints - hotly tipped by the bookmakers in the pre-season betting - are second in the standings despite an early-season managerial change, though they do trail the Poole juggernaut by some six points.

Much has been made of the fact that Killick's men have yet to face any of the fancied sides but having witnessed Tuesday's 3-0 thumping of Truro City - Poole's 10th straight league victory - the Tatnam boss called on his troops to continue their authoritative approach.

Killick told the Daily Echo: “I thought the first half against Truro was our best performance of the season in terms of intensity, they simply couldn't live with us. We played exceptionally well and the goal from Steve Devlin really capped it off.

“To win so comfortably against a team that had started the night in the top five was a real boost. The other teams in the league won't know the manner of the victory but they will see from the score that it was comprehensive and hopefully it made a few people sit up and take notice.

“We want to be relentless and demoralise our opponents and fellow challengers. That's how we have been in previous seasons and that has to be our aim again.”

Poole continued their imperious march without a recognised striker on the pitch. With injured Cherries striker Josh O'Hanlon “a couple of weeks away” from any potential renewal of his loan, midfielder Marvin Brooks filled the sole centre-forward's berth against Truro.

Killick revealed that last season's top scorer Richard Gillespie, who is working in Australia until November, is set for a return but that Poole may be forced to muddle through in the meantime.

“It is one of those difficult decisions,” added Killick. “In an ideal world we would bring in another striker but finance comes into it and perhaps we'll have to tough it out and wait for Josh to come back.

“After Tuesday, it would take a brave manager to change too much. An away match against St Neots presents a different proposition but Marvin did really well up there. We have Dan Munday, Luke Roberts and Luke Burbidge to call upon so I'm not too concerned.”

On Gillespie's return, Killick said: “I had an email exchange with Gilly a couple of weeks ago and he said he was keen to come back. We're equally keen to get him back and that's something for us to look forward to.”

Dolphins: (from) Hutchings, Tallack, Martin, Walker, Whisken, Pettefer, Burbidge, Devlin, Lowes, Brooks, Preston, Roberts, Jermyn, Emmerson, Gosney, Lindsay, Munday, Manley.