A HORROR first 45 minutes condemned Poole Town to defeat on Saturday, with Dolphins losing 4-2 to Tiverton Town.
Manager Tom Killick named an unchanged side to the team that began the season 3-0 victors away at Winchester City, despite the return of stalwart Corby Moore.
Poole found themselves 4-1 down at the break, falling behind after a soft penalty was converted by Louis Morrison after 19 minutes.
Captain Jamie Whisken then had the misfortune of diverting a Tiverton shot into his own net seven minutes later, before Dolphins clawed a goal back.
Wes Fogden slipped in fellow former Cherry Luke Pardoe, who supplied the finishing touch to convert and seemingly put Poole back into the game.
However, the away side would restore their two-goal cushion when their skipper Jamie Richards was allowed to freely head home for the third, as he was unmarked at a corner.
A mix-up at the back between goalkeeper Luke Cairney and defender Will Spetch saw Tiverton gifted a fourth, and Poole left ruing their luck at the break.
Hopes of a miraculous comeback for the hosts were boosted when Whisken headed home two minutes into the second half, but despite a sustained barrage on the Tiverton defence, Poole were unable to score again, leaving the final scoreline at 4-2 in favour of the away side.
Poole: Cairney, Rose (Moore, 46), Spetch, Whisken, Hutchinson, Carmichael, Fogden, Pardoe (Davey, 86), L Holmes (Daws, 46), Dickson, T Holmes
Unused: Butler (g/k), Fletcher
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