VICTORIOUS Poole Town manager Tom Killick played devil’s advocate after enraged opposite number Andy Leese had given referee Adam Nunn quite the tongue-lashing.

Chesham boss Leese spent several minutes gesticulating towards the match official on the pitch after his side’s 3-0 defeat to the Dolphins at Tatnam on Tuesday.

The visitors cried foul when Marvin Brooks opened the scoring with a stunning swivel and shot from Luke Burbidge’s cutback with United defender Daniel Braithwaite on the ground clutching his ankle.

Nunn then endured Chesham’s wrath when he ruled that keeper Shane Gore had picked up a backpass during first-half stoppage time with Steve Devlin rifling home from 10 yards after a delicate free-kick routine.

Chesham hit the woodwork through Mark Bell and Jonathan Hippolyte in the second half, while Poole stopper Nick Hutchings atoned for a rash moment with a double save from Danny Talbot’s free-kick and the follow-up from Hippolyte.

Dolphins then rubbed salt into the wound with substitute Richard Gillespie’s deft touch calmly rounded off by Burbidge on 80 minutes with Leese openly venting his frustration at the final whistle.

Killick explained: “The main bone of contention from his point of view was the second goal. I thought it was possibly harsh on them but not a ridiculous decision by any means.

“You could see why the referee gave it but I also understood Chesham’s frustration, particularly as the timing of the second goal was quite telling.”

On the first goal, Killick said: “The referee stops the game if they think someone is significantly hurt but that did not appear to be the case with their player.

“There is no duty on us to put out the ball in those circumstances. He came off for a brief period of treatment and went straight back on which was evidence that he had not been seriously injured.”

Killick admitted the scoreline had somewhat flattered his side but was relieved to register three points ahead of title rivals Corby and Weymouth going head-to-head last night.

“Chesham started the match quite brightly and hit the post a couple of times at 2-0. In a strange way, the win was probably not as convincing as the score suggested and we were not at our best,” he added.

“We did not pass with fluency and they caused us problems on the break. It was not one of our better performances but it got us back on track after Saturday.”

Dolphins: Hutchings, Tallack, Lindsay, Walker, Whisken, Pettefer, Burbidge, Devlin (Davis, 81), Quigley (Gillespie, 68), Brooks, Close (Roberts, 78). Unused subs: Spetch, Cunniffe-Pilley.