POOLE Town have gone the extra mile to ensure they are not left treading water in their bid to beat the National South drop.

Dolphins have been forced to postpone their past two home fixtures – both against Chippenham Town – due to a waterlogged pitch.

Tom Killick’s men are set to host Welling United on Saturday (3pm) and this week enlisted assistance to enhance the chances of a playable surface.

They brought in Ringwood-based firm Apex Soil Solutions, who treated the pitch at the Black Gold Stadium to improve its drainage.

Club director Richard Gale told the Daily Echo: “There is no guarantee but we are fairly confident this is going to make a significant difference and, hopefully, we can get the games on rather than having a fixture pile-up.

“The club are absolutely desperate to get the games on because we don’t want to be faced with having to play multiple fixtures in a week to catch up later in the season.

“This is the first time Poole have faced a challenging period for quite a few seasons now.

“We have been rising up through the leagues and have hit a bit of a sticky patch but we are confident we will pull through.”

Dolphins have played just once in 2018, losing 3-1 at Truro City on New Year’s Day.

Their previous home fixture came in sodden conditions against the White Tigers in a 3-0 defeat on Boxing Day.

The extended gap in fixtures has left Killick’s charges five points from safety in 20th spot with one game in hand on Gloucester City, who sit directly above them.

A spokesperson for the ground specialists said: “Apex Soil Solutions were delighted to assist Poole Town in combatting some of the problems they had been facing.

“We used the revolutionary Vogt GeoInjector Trolley to penetrate deep into the soil, beyond the root zone where high-pressured air was injected.

“This decompacted and aerated the ground, allowing the water to filter down from the surface.

“While the probe was inserted, a natural underground void was created then filled with an organic material, creating a permanent drainage soakaway solution.”

Dolphins are set to welcome back forward Marvin Brooks from suspension after he was sent off against Dartford at the start of December.

Bristol Rovers loan pair Mo Baghdadi and Jordan Williams, signed on the eve of the first postponed game against the Bluebirds, are also expected to be available.

Visitors Welling are 10th in the division, six points off the play-off places. They sealed a 2-0 victory over Poole when the sides met in September.

Dolphins: (from) Hutchings, Lindsay, Spetch, Whisken, Pettefer, Leslie-Smith, Dickson, Bedford, Devlin, Bentley, Moore, Gillespie, Brooks, Balmer, Baghdadi, Williams.