AN EMOTIONAL Tom Killick paid tribute to his squad for remaining loyal to Poole Town and delivering the Southern League title after last season’s heartbreak.

The Dolphins made sure of the Premier Division crown and promotion to National South with a consummate 3-0 victory over Dunstable Town at Tatnam today.

Marvin Brooks’s hat-trick did the damage as Poole emphatically consigned to history their final-day defeat to Corby, which handed their opponents the championship, 12 months ago.

But despite leading his club back to non-league’s second tier for the first time in 25 years, Killick was keen to pass on the plaudits.

Killick told the Daily Echo: “People were very quick to make comments after last season, and I do understand why, but I was so pleased to see it through.

“Today’s starting XI were all involved 12 months ago. For them to stick together and have another season at it took courage.

“It would have been easy for them to walk away. Many of them could have gone to play at National South level if they had wanted to but as a group, they stuck together and had another season here.

“I think they deserve so much credit and I’m overjoyed to see the scenes in the dressing room. The happiness those players feel is richly deserved.

Brooks plundered the first after three minutes and Poole didn’t look back, running riot in the second half as Dunstable were reduced to nine men.

“To score so early was ideal for us,” added Killick. “It settled us down, although I felt we still went on to play with a bit of tension.

“I didn’t feel we were as composed as we could have been in possession but perhaps the goal drummed a bit of ambition out of Dunstable.

“We didn’t want them to come here, get a good start and for them to start relishing the occasion.

“I can’t remember them having too many opportunities but I was quite surprised by how powerful they were. They were keen to deliver balls into the box so I did feel it was a very accomplished performance.

“It was not always completely cohesive and fluent but under the circumstances, with so much at stake, I thought it was good.”