TAFFY Richardson was pleased to see Poole Town get their rewards after a sickening week of training – literally.

Richardson, boss Tom Killick’s right-hand man at Black Gold Stadium, revealed how several players had vomited out of sheer effort.

Dolphins then travelled to Kings Langley on Saturday hoping to secure their first Southern League South win since mid-October.

And Killick’s men prevailed 3-0 to ensure they ended the day in seventh place and three points off a play-off spot, with two games in hand on fifth-place Tiverton.

Jez Bedford gave the visitors the perfect start when he struck left-footed past goalkeeper Alex Tokarczyk in the early stages.

That was how it stayed until late on, when Steve Devlin fired home from range and Sam Griffin completed the scoring.

Reflecting on the victory, Richardson admitted adaptation had been element of his team’s success in Hertfordshire.

And he added that midweek graft had played its part as well, even if it might not have felt like that at the time.

He told the Daily Echo: “The win was very pleasing, mainly because we have a way of playing and we realised very quickly that we couldn’t play that way.

“We had to sit in a bit more and the players aren’t used to doing that but they took it on board and were quality and it resulted in a convincing 3-0 win.

“Their keeper was outstanding, he made four or five quality saves. The players took on a different dimension and were really disciplined.

“It’s the result of a good week. These lads have had tough times, they got knocked out of the FA Cup recently but I’ve never been involved with a group that puts it in like they do.

“They have an outstanding attitude and got their rewards for it.

“Our situation in the league is getting better all the time and it is down to the lads. They are pushing themselves.

“We do a lot of running in training and, normally, we run up a lot of hills. It’s old-fashioned stuff but it’s more of a mental thing.

“Normally, in pre-season you get the odd player being sick. But we had three of them being sick on Tuesday and I thought there might be more.

“The way they ran was unbelievable. I’m talking about the young lads and the more experienced players.

“To push themselves like that to improve their fitness is a credit to them.”

Poole face Wessex Premier outfit Portland United in the first round of the Dorset Senior Cup on Tuesday.

Dolphins are 16-time winners of the competition and will be hopeful of wrestling the crown off reigning champions Wimborne Town.

Richardson said: “We have some really good young lads in our reserves and the team we put out will be a decent team.

“It will be a proper game which will be taken seriously, no matter who is selected.

“The players who play will have a really good chance to make a name for themselves.”

Dolphins: Cairney, Alawode-Williams, Smeeton (Leslie-Smith, 65), Spetch, Whisken, Moore, Bedford (Grange, 80), Devlin, House (Gillespie, 80), Brooks, Griffin. Unused subs: Davis, Pettefer.