DOWNCAST Poole Town boss Tom Killick refused to blame the decisions of referee Marc Whaley for the 3-1 National South defeat to Oxford City and insisted Dolphins had got what they had deserved.

Michael Fondop gave City the lead midway through the first half at Tatnam before Plymouth official Whaley awarded the visitors a stoppage-time spot-kick after he deemed Luke Roberts had fouled James Roberts.

Oxford captain Scott Davies duly converted and after substitute Sam Surridge pulled a goal back in the second period, Luke Burbidge was denied a penalty having gone to ground in the box.

Jefferson Louis made victory safe in the dying embers, with Poole's misery compounded by hamstring injuries to Richard Gillespie and Carl Pettefer.

Killick told the Daily Echo: "We didn't think it was a penalty for them and we also felt there was a very clear penalty near the end for us, which could have given us an equaliser.

"When you play well and get bad decisions which affect the outcome it's quite easy to get very upset but I think it's important we don't do that so much this time, because it would represent deflection away from how bad we were.

"As much as we felt there were two crucial decisions the referee got wrong, we realise we can't dwell on those because we were poor. Sometimes you perform so badly you deserve to lose."

Killick added: "I think there was an awful lot of positive feeling around the club after last week's performance at Hampton & Richmond and it was completely inexplicable that we put together two so drastically different performances.

"Everyone knows there are going to be some days which are better than others but there is a line you shouldn't really fall below and we fell quite significantly below that line.

"It's so frustrating because points are a precious commodity and we feel we've given three away.

"The players are very conscious of it. They have a good insight in terms of when they are not good. We discussed it but they don't need it drilled into them."

Dolphins: Hutchings, Lindsay, Case, Spetch, Whisken, Pettefer (Baggie, 18), Burbidge, Devlin, Gillespie (Surridge, 55), Brooks (Bailey, 60), Roberts. Unused subs: Walker, Wort.