POOLE Town’s defeat to strugglers Hartley Wintney came down to a mixture of profligate finishing and a poor second half performance according to boss Tom Killick.

Dolphins manager Killick claimed his charges missed “five clear cut chances” in the opening 45, with Poole taking a first-half lead through Will Spetch.

Spetch, Jamie Whisken and Luke Pardoe all missed big chances as Poole failed to make their dominance pay in terms of an inflated score line.

Forced onto the backfoot by a resurgent Hartley side in the second period, Poole eventually succumbed to defeat after two goals in the final 12 minutes through Dan Fitchett and Lucias Vine.

Speaking after the game, Killick told the club’s media: “The first half we were adequate in terms of our performance and created probably five clear cut chances.

“We're really frustrated, not so much with our performance because we were reasonably good, but we were frustrated about missing those chances.

“The chances we had in the first half, they weren't just reasonable chances, they were absolute gilt edged.

After the break the momentum completely changed as Hartley took control of proceedings.

“In the second half, it was a different story,” continued Killick.

“They (Hartley Wintney) were much better. They were more dynamic, they were more aggressive.

“They sort of bullied us really from start to finish.

“In the second half, we tried changing the shape. We tried changing the personnel, but it didn't really change the direction of the match.

“I thought for their endeavour in the second half and their obvious desire to win the game, they deserved the points.

“In the second half, we were just so far below what's acceptable that when you compare it to recent performances and the first half performance, it was just a bitter pill to swallow.

“But we have to swallow it because, as I say, our inadequacies were there for everyone to see in the second half.

“You could tell they were desperate to get points. They were hugely motivated to get the points. I felt they deserved it.”

Poole remain ninth in the Southern League Premier South, with 42 points from 28 games.