TOM Killick praised an improved defensive performance as the “base” of Poole Town’s 1-1 draw away at Taunton town, with the Dolphins chief left feeling his side were the better team.

Dolphins had conceded 18 goals in six games prior to their clean sheet against Chesham last weekend, with Killick attributing better displays at the back as the basis of Poole’s improved performances.

Taunton took a first-half lead when a deflected Jay Foulston effort could only be parried by Tommy Scott, allowing Ross Stearn to tap home.

Dolphins came close to a quick response when Luke Burbidge flashed over from six yards with a volley.

In the second half top goalscorer Tony Lee must have thought he had bagged another when he managed to get a foot to a deflected Dickson strike – only to be denied on the line by Ioan Richards.

Lee would have the last laugh after Dickson was felled in the area, stepping up to emphatically fire home Poole’s equaliser.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Killick explained: “I thought we were the better side other than the first 10 minutes.

“I didn’t really feel they had many chances that I can remember. We’re a bit disappointed with the goal, it took a deflection. Other than that, they didn’t create many chances.”

He added: “We didn’t create an awful lot, but we’re away from home.

“I thought we controlled the game for long periods – when you’re away from home, against a good side, it’s a real positive. We defended brilliantly as a team, we had a threat on the counter. We finished the game strongly.

“I’m not going to say we were comfortable, I just felt we did control the game for decent periods.

“I think defensively performances are improving. We’d still like to have a little bit more a cutting edge, be a little bit more incisive perhaps with our attacking play.

“We wanted to give ourselves a bit of a base defensively, and that’s what we’ve done over the last couple of games.”

Poole: Scott, Rose, Jackson, Spetch, Whisken, Bartlett, Carmichael (Wright, 82), Burbidge (Chipangura, 86), Lee, Davey (Devlin, 90), Dickson.

Unused subs: Wickham, Mayo.