TOM Killick is optimistic Poole Town's National South plight will encourage fans to turn out for the home clash with Ebbsfleet – and hopes his players can deliver a display which will entice supporters to return.

Dolphins yesterday received planning approval from Borough of Poole councillors to install low-level terracing and upgraded floodlights at Tatnam, work which must be carried out by the end of March if the club is to remain in National South.

And while that approval is a significant boost, Poole must still generate the funds required to carry out the work, with vice-chairman Chris Reeves admitting earlier this month that £70,000 would be required by the deadline.

However, with Dorset football fans increasingly aware of Poole's race against time, boss Killick hopes spectators will turn out in force for his fourth-placed side's clash with second-placed Ebbsfleet tomorrow (3pm).

Killick told the Daily Echo: "We always hope one of the ways people can show their support financially is by attending games.

"You are always aware that when you get a crowd which is slightly inflated for whatever reason that if you can perform well, there is always the prospect of those people coming back on a more regular basis.

"That is really the only way the club can grow.

"We are hoping the crowd can be a bit inflated because of the publicity regarding the finances and of course it helps that AFC Bournemouth have no game.

"I would hope the weather can be reasonably kind and then people could turn up in their numbers.

"Following on from that, against really strong opposition, we have got to make sure it was worthwhile them coming and hope they then come back.

"While the result is the be-all and end-all, you do want it to be a spectacle which people enjoy. Our attendances have steadily grown but we would like that to continue."

Former Cherries midfielder Josh Wakefield could make his debut for Dolphins but Richard Gillespie is unlikely to play due to a knee injury and Lewis Lindsay remains sidelined. Elsewhere, Lewis Tallack is banned.

Killick's troops, Southern League champions last term, were thumped 4-0 by Ebbsfleet on the opening day of the current season.

The boss added: "It was a daunting start and a lot of people from outside the club expected that type of result. When they saw that, there was an expectation in local football that we would really struggle this season.

"I'm very proud of how the players responded. They have rightly had quite a lot of praise for how they have adapted to the league but at this stage of the season it's important we don't bask in that and try to look at what's left and see if we can achieve something tangible, rather than patting ourselves on the back every five minutes.

"Whether that's by winning the league or finishing in the play-off places, that's what we need to try to do."