Killick's relief as Poole Town march on in FA Cup

Dolphins went into the contest having lost six of their past seven games in National South, against a Whites outfit who were flying high in Southern League West.

And in a cup tie which came to life during the second half at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium, Killick’s men struck twice with goals from Jamie Whisken and Jez Bedford to book their place in the third qualifying round draw.

The Poole manager told the Daily Echo: “To go away from home with morale as low as it was, it was a big victory for us.

“Let’s not get carried away. We have beaten a side that are two leagues lower than us but everyone knows they have signed players who have played at our level at the very least.

“Our celebrations were probably completely over the top in a way but where we have been over the past few weeks emotionally, I think it meant an awful lot to the players, the supporters and everyone connected to the club.

“It was an unbelievable relief really.”

Dolphins made two changes from the side which fell to a 4-1 defeat in the league at Wealdstone last time out.

Defender Will Spetch was judged fit enough to start for the visitors following an adductor injury while Cherries loanee Ollie Harfield also returned to the starting XI.

They replaced the suspended Steve Devlin and Bedford, who dropped to the bench.

Striker Richard Gillespie was also named among the substitutes after getting match minutes in a brief spell at Christchurch.

Salisbury went into the contest having come through two rounds of the cup already.

The Whites overcame Fareham Town 3-2 at home in the preliminary round before another 3-2 success away at Farnborough.

Former Dolphin Marvin Brooks, who made the controversial switch between the sides in the summer, started up front for the hosts.

Jake Wannell and Rhys Baggridge, who also had a spells on loan at the Black Gold Stadium, also started for Steve Claridge’s side.

And it was Salisbury who fashioned the first chance of the tie on three minutes.

After Lewis Benson’s free-kick cannoned off the Poole wall, skipper Elliot Wheeler’s low strike on the follow up was saved by Nick Hutchings in the away goal.

Brooks then saw his shot from inside the area charged down

after Flavio Tavares skipped away from his full-back on the left wing.

Spetch’s afternoon in the heart of Dolphins’ backline proved short-lived as, on 22 minutes, he was forced off through injury. He was replaced by Bedford with Jake Smeeton slotting in at centre-half.

Poole’s best chance of the half then came in the 30th minute.

Jack Dickson motored down the wing before playing the ball back to stiker Warren Bentley, whose shot at goal failed to make it through a sea of Salisbury defenders and was blocked by Wannell.

Dolphins were in the wars either side of the interval, with both Smeeton and Tony Lee requiring treatment.

Dickson was then released down the line by Bentley and drove past his defender into the box but, in trying to beat Charlie Searle at his near post, the Salisbury keeper stood up to the task.

At the other end, Brooks linked up with Stuart Green on the edge of the area but having received the pass back, he failed to hit the target.

And it was Dolphins who broke the deadlock on 63 minutes through Whisken.

Dickson’s corner was swung into the near post where the Poole captain rose highest to power a header home from close range.

Wannell then tangled with Lee which earned the defender a caution, as tempers began to boil over. Lee himself was then in the referee’s book soon after for a late challenge on Baggridge.

And Wannell, who had already been booked, appeared to bring down Bentley when the frontman was in on goal. The challenge did not result in a second caution.

A cross from Tavares was then palmed away by Hutchings as the tie became stretched with 10 minutes remaining.

Former Weymouth man Chris Shephard was brought on for the Whites during the latter stages and he had an immediate impact.

The creative midfielder played a perfectly weighted ball through to Brooks who, after cutting inside, saw his strike cannon off the far post and away to safety.

As the game then drifted into its sixth minute of stoppage time, Salisbury appealed for a penalty with Shephard going down in the area. Referee Lee Bennan waved away the appeals for a spot-kick.

And the tie was then wrapped up in the seventh minute of stoppage time, in what was a dramatic finale.

Poole worked the ball forward on the counter and it was youngster Bedford who slotted into the top corner to make it 2-0 and spark wild celebrations on the visiting bench.

“I felt there were times where, without being disrespectful to Salisbury, if they had a little bit more quality they might have caused us some problems,” Killick added.

“They were the team that looked much more accomplished in the early stages. Then I thought they ran out of ideas a little bit.”

Asked about the Whites’ dramatic late appeal for a penalty, the Poole boss replied: “The referee stood up to the pressure because it was never a penalty but a lot of referees would have given it.

“I am not normally complimentary about referees and I am not saying his performance lacked defects.

“But at the end, nine referees out of 10, with almost 1,000 people calling for a penalty to the home side, would have given a penalty.

“It is not very often you get a referee that would be prepared to stand up for what’s right and I thought he did that.”

Whites: Searle, Colson, Wheeler (Shephard, 82), Whelan, Baggridge, Wannell, Benson (Herbert, 88), Roberts, Green (O’Keefe, 67), Brooks, Tavares.

Unused Subs: Perrett, Hart, Young, Ball (g/k).

Booked: Baggridge, Wannell.

Dolphins: Hutchings, Lindsay, Moore, Spetch (Bedford, 22), Whisken, Pettefer, Dickson, Smeeton, Lee (Gillespie, 84), Bentley, Harfield.

Unused Subs: Baggie, Balmer, Neale, Cook, Rees (g/k).

Booked: Lee, Lindsay, Moore.

Referee: Lee Bennan (London).

Attendance: 995.