CAPTAIN Jamie Whisken believes the Poole Town squad is not strong enough to win Southern League South – and admits "two or three" additions are needed.

The experienced centre-half will lead Dolphins into battle for only their third league game in four and a half weeks when they visit Walton Casuals on Saturday (3pm).

Poole are seventh in the standings and four points off the play-offs, although they have two games in hand on fifth-place Beaconsfield Town.

Leaders Weymouth are 11 points ahead of Tom Killick’s side but have played two fixtures more.

Whisken, 30, was part of the Poole side which suffered the drop from National South last season.

And while he feels topping the table may – with the current squad – be a step too far, the former AFC Totton man insists his team should be at least in the mix for promotion.

He told the Daily Echo: “After a season in which we were relegated, there are a lot of things which need fixing and I feel it will take a season to do so.

“I would say the squad isn’t strong enough to win the league. I’m not sure if Tommy would agree but I would admit that.

“I feel we would need two or three more players to strengthen the squad and be up in the top two.

“But there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be making the play-offs, that’s for sure.

“It’s picking up slowly but surely. We’ve jumped up a few places and there’s not as much pressure on us as there has been in previous years.

“We’re in a rebuilding season more than anything else. We’re not necessarily expected to go up, although we should be up there.

“I feel that it’s more someone like Weymouth’s title to lose than ours to win.

“But if we can quietly go about our business and gather a bit of momentum, there’s no reason why we can’t be right up amongst it.

“We have experience of winning this league before so come the latter stages of the season, we know what’s needed.”

Killick will be strong on personnel for the trip to Walton, with frontman Luke Roberts the only player likely to miss out due to a nagging toe injury.

The manager said: “We are doing okay with numbers at the moment. I had to leave Jez Bedford out of the 16 against Brentwood and we came through unscathed.

“Luke Roberts is really the only one. Saturday will probably be too soon for him.

“It does help when you are doing okay without him – it reduces the temptation to rush him back.

“I feel he was the best player in Conference South last season so to be without him would affect any team.

“But we just have to accept it for what it is and wait for the right moment.”

Walton are 12th in the standings having won five and lost six of their 14 league games so far this season.