JUBILANT boss Tom Killick hailed Marvin Brooks for his “all-round play” after the versatile performer had carved his name in Poole Town history, reports Jack Tanner.

Brooks grabbed an 80th-minute winner to earn Dolphins a 2-1 victory at East Thurrock United – and became the first Poole player for six years to score in five successive games.

It was a feat previously achieved by Steve Smith in 2010-11 when Poole won promotion to the Southern League after lifting the Wessex League title.

Killick, who has been deploying Brooks as a makeshift striker, told the Daily Echo: “When you look at Marvin, it’s not just his goals, it’s his all-round play.

“Steve Smith was a great goalscorer but Marvin does an awful lot of work for us. He holds up the ball, makes runs and draws a few fouls. As well as his goals, he is just very effective for us in the way we play.”

Brooks struck to settle the issue in Poole’s favour after Steve Devlin’s first-half penalty had been cancelled out by James Walker’s goal 13 minutes from time.

Killick added: “It wasn’t the best game in terms of it being a spectacle. I don’t think it was ever going to be due to the conditions. The pitch was not particularly flat and the wind was a big factor.

“I was concerned at half-time because we had had the wind with us in the first half. Although we dominated the game, we only scored one goal. I thought we were going to have a lot more defending to do in the second half.

“Even against the wind, we were on top. They rarely got out of their own half in the first half and that was pretty much true for the second as well. When you look at that, I think we deserved to win the game.”

Brooks was at the heart of the action throughout and earned his team their spot kick after being wrestled to the ground by Marvin Ekpiteta, leaving referee Ian Rathbone no choice but to award a penalty.

And Devlin, who had converted two penalties in the win over Bishop’s Stortford seven days previously, again made no mistake when he sent Thurrock goalkeeper Lukas Lidakevicius the wrong way.

Although Poole continued to control the game, they were pegged back after failing to clear a corner, allowing Walker to stab home through Nick Hutchings’s legs following a melee.

Killick added: “Every goal in the game was a bit scrappy. We felt we were a bit unfortunate to concede as the ball just bounced kindly for their striker.

“There wasn’t that much quality in the game but, out of the two teams, I felt we were by far the better side.

“We showed great character as well. We were 1-0 up and dominating and, suddenly, they scored out of nothing.

“I think lesser teams would have been deflated but we came fighting back and scored another goal to get back in front. After the goal, we were resolute in our defending.”

Dolphins: Hutchings, Tallack, Moore, Spetch, Whisken, Pettefer, Burbidge, Devlin, Roberts, Brooks, Baggie (Granger, 75). Unused subs: Wakefield, Askew, Walker, Rees (g/k).