GUTTED Tom Killick admitted his struggling Poole Town side now expected "huge errors" from National South referees after a controversial penalty was awarded in Dolphins' 4-0 defeat at Hungerford Town.

Poole trailed 1-0 to Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist's opener inside the opening minute, before whistler Tom Reeves penalised Corby Moore for a challenge in the box with little more than a quarter of an hour left.

Louie Soares squeezed his spot-kick past keeper Nick Hutchings and with the visitors attempting a dramatic comeback, further goals from Bristol Rovers loan ace Leigh-Gilchrist and Nicholas Bignall rounded off Hungerford's win.

The result ensured Poole remained five points from safety, Chelmsford City doing the Dorset club a favour by seeing off Concord Rangers 1-0.

Boss Killick told the Daily Echo: "People will struggle to believe it but the game was very even, until the referee deemed it appropriate to give a penalty in the second half. At 2-0, it was game over.

"It was a tackle which wasn't a penalty which the referee decided, in his infinite wisdom, was a penalty.

"I think the only good thing is that we are almost expecting referees to make these huge errors, because they are happening so often.

"It's very sad to say but because the mistakes are so significant and so regular, you are able to come to terms with them a bit better.

"Everyone knows that until there are drastic changes in terms of how things are done, it won't change, so we have to keep expecting huge errors and when they come along, they are easier to cope with.

"We're going to keep going for another 30 or 40 years and hope that one of these decisions will eventually go our way."

Poole have six games left to save their season. They are five points adrift of 19th-place Concord, who have played a game fewer and have a significantly better goal difference.

Below Dolphins, Bognor Regis Town and Whitehawk – the latter of which Poole still have to play – seem certain to be relegated.

Reflecting further on events at Bulpit Lane, Killick added: "There's no point trying to play down the significance of the result. There was only two teams we could have overhauled before kick-off and Hungerford were one of them.

"There is probably only one team who we can overhaul now and that is Concord and we still have to play them, so we have to keep going.

"We have to train on Thursday and then pick ourselves up for Saturday."

Poole had been due to host Whitehawk on Good Friday but the game was postponed due to wet conditions.

Next up for Killick's side are Chelmsford, who are chasing a play-off place and whose win over Concord was only their second victory in seven games.

Dolphins: Hutchings, Moore, Smeeton, Walker (Richardson, 90), Whisken, Pettefer, Balmer, Devlin, Gillespie (Leslie-Smith, 89), Bentley, Otudeko (Neale, 63). Unused subs: Dickson, Rees (g/k).