AMONG the genuine messages of congratulations, there were the inevitable backhanded compliments.

Poole Town’s elevation back to non-league’s second tier and the highest level designed for part-time clubs was one in the eye for the army of naysayers.

Jibes about the Dolphins choking have been emphatically dismissed on the pitch and a closer look at the heart of the club reveals answers to any questions fuelled by envy.

Why is a club that plays on a school field outperforming my team? How can this be allowed?

Keyboard warriors from the depths of Dorset or as far away as the Midlands should perhaps spend a bit of time in the company of those running Poole Town.

From every corner of the club, there is a long-standing and unflinching expectation to progress – and not just on the pitch.

Meeting that demand has proved more difficult in the Southern League’s top flight with the Dolphins no longer the undisputed powerhouses of their level.

Nearby, rivals had the ability to gazump Poole financially, while other contenders farther afield were paying chunky fees to lure players from above.

But still, boss Tom Killick insisted from day one that promotion had to be achieved.

Failure simply was not an option, so much so he admitted he would not have continued had Poole not made it third time lucky.

“I think I would have lost all credibility to try to carry on if things hadn’t gone the way we wanted them to,” Killick revealed to the Daily Echo.

“There wouldn’t have been any mileage in doing that and that was the big reason I felt quite emotional when we did it.

“I didn’t feel ready to finish my association with this club and I certainly wouldn’t have had we missed out. This means a lot to me personally.”

And Killick’s mentality is embedded into Poole’s DNA.

The club has met every ground grading challenge and while the biggest of those is yet to come, history suggests Dolphins chiefs will find a way to make the grade.

Perhaps those knocking Tatnam’s facilities have not needed to fight for their club’s future. Maybe they do not know or choose to forget what has been done to turn an overgrown eyesore into a home.

But now, it has been made worthwhile with Killick’s dream of National South football realised after 12 glory-filled seasons.

“I feel quite emotional about it,” he admitted. “For the players, it is just euphoria and that is understandable.

“But for me, after the despair of last season and because I know how much goes into running the club, I know what it means to a lot of people. I know how many supporters have been doing their bit for so many years.

“Chris Reeves (vice-chairman) and Clive Robbins (chairman) have been here from day one. As everyone knows, they have guided the club through some really dark times. I am so pleased for them.

“I remember coming to the club in Wessex One with my old friend Taffy Richardson.

“He dragged us up a few levels and this day is for people like him as well.Without the credibility he gave us, I don’t think there would have been the same level of progression early on.”

The current crop may be a far cry from those first few years but there was a sense of poetic justice as an XI made up entirely of players who had experienced last season’s title heartache sealed the crown by beating Dunstable 3-0.

Midfielder Marvin Brooks grabbed the headlines, taking to 16 goals his tally for the season with the hat-trick that capped a memorable campaign.

But it was as much about Nick Hutchings, who kept his 109th Poole clean sheet and sixth in a row on Saturday, or Michael Walker, whose renaissance since rejoining after a torturous spell at Weymouth has been inspired.

And after past dramas, Poole’s passage to the National South was as straightforward as they could have hoped for.

Brooks plundered the opener after three minutes when Dunstable keeper Bartosz Pedrycz fumbled Luke Roberts’s cross-shot, leaving the man affectionately known as Poodle to slam home.

Poole continued to dominate but the early tempo dropped as a quiet first half came to a close.

The match failed to kick into life after the restart until Brooks’s second sealed the deal with 58 minutes on the clock.

Returning striker Richard Gillespie did well to hold up the ball and despite being forced into the right channel, found Luke Burbidge whose low centre was swept home from close range.

Killick’s men seemed set to run riot and it required outfield player David Keenleyside to claw a header out of the top corner with his hand to initially deny Brooks his maiden senior treble.

Keenleyside was sent off before Killick ordered regular penalty taker Steve Devlin to step up from 12 yards, only for Pedrycz to produce a full-stretch save.

But Brooks got his moment in the sun when he played through Gillespie to be felled by Pedrycz, who followed Keenleyside in for an early bath.

Even taskmaster Killick could not prevent Brooks from stepping up to smash home the second spot-kick, high to outfield replacement Mark Smith’s right.

Cue the long-awaited celebrations, including the customary drenching for Killick after his players had held him aloft.

“This group of players doesn’t take an awful lot of managing,” he said. “They are so motivated and a pleasure to work with. I love being around them.

“At non-league level, you have to enjoy each other’s company. You have to get up in the morning and want to go to football, it is not just about the 90 minutes and the biggest pleasure I derive is seeing how well they get on as a group.

“To see them get this success makes everything worthwhile.”

Like it or lump it, the Poole bandwagon keeps pushing on. Perhaps some of their illustrious adversaries could learn from how they go about it.