MANAGER Tom Killick welcomed opposite number Mark Collier’s assertion that Poole Town “expect to win the league” after Tuesday’s 1-0 triumph at promotion-rivals Chippenham.

Jack Dickson’s cheeky 10th-minute strike sent home keeper Kent Kauppinen the wrong way to ultimately settle a clash dictated by driving wind.

The one-way gusts allowed Chippenham to bombard the Dolphins goal for most of the second half with Matt Jones and Mark Preece among those to test in-form keeper Nick Hutchings but Poole held out to establish a four-point lead at the Southern League summit.

In his post-match interview, Collier alluded to Tatnam club’s lofty ambitions but bullish Killick was pleased to see his confidence seep into the minds of opponents.

Killick told the Daily Echo: “We do expect to win the league. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen but I feel it is important to have that mindset, confidence and belief and transmit that throughout the club from top to bottom.

“If other clubs sense that belief, I think that can only be a good thing. We have no divine right to win it, we know that, and we have nothing other clubs are not capable of having but we just believe in ourselves as a group.

“We just feel we can achieve good things. That is something I have been striving for at the club since I arrived and long may that continue.”

After an incisive passing move, goal-hero Dickson played a slick one-two with Steve Devlin, cutting into space before stroking to Kauppinen’s right with the stopper grounded.

Killick continued: “Jack is still young but getting to the point where he is forcing his way into a regular starting berth rather than just being on the periphery.

“What he did for the goal is what he is all about. He’s a right-footed player who we’re utilising on the left so when he does come inside he is a real goal threat.

“I thought that was one of the only bits of real quality in the game.”

On the match, Killick said: “I think the result in itself was a big achievement but purely because of the conditions in the second half and the way they tried to exploit them, which I had no complaints about, it was our best result of its kind this season.

“They had a long throw from both sides and we had to defend so many balls into our box with six, seven or eight of their players competing for it.

“To do that for 45 minutes was a brilliant effort.”

Dolphins: Hutchings, Tallack, Spetch, Walker, Whisken, Pettefer, Burbidge, Devlin, Roberts (Holmes, 88), Brooks, Dickson. Unused subs: Connell, Lindsay, Salama, Rees (g/k).