EXHAUSTED Graham Kemp likened Christchurch’s remarkable comeback to draw 5-5 with Poole Town to Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League triumph over AC Milan.

Priory boss Kemp watched Tom Killick’s Wessex League champions storm into a 5-0 lead inside 25 minutes at Tatnam on Tuesday, only for his side to somehow fight back and restore parity.

Quickfire goals from Steve Smith, Micky Hubbard (pen), Carl Preston (2) and James Bailey-Pearce looked to have put the game beyond Kemp’s men, before Priory made it 5-5 thanks to Mark Smith (2), Ben Osborne (2) and Scott Sanderson’s injury-time equaliser.

A bemused Kemp told the Echo: “It was an amazing game. It wasn’t textbook defending from either side and for 25 minutes we were embarrassing.

“It was so easy for Poole, though, that they took their foot off the pedal for five minutes and we scored three goals in no time.

“It was almost like the Liverpool versus AC Milan Champions League final. I just couldn’t understand how a top team like Poole could relinquish a five-goal lead. No team should come back from five-nil down and draw with a team in the same league.

“I’ve never been involved in a game quite like it. After 25 minutes I was wondering if the changing rooms were open so I could get the keys to my van and go home.

“I had three subs warming up and I was going to put them on to embarrass three of my defenders, but by the time they were ready to go on it was 5-3, so they had to sit down again. But I couldn’t fault their effort in the end. It was like a victory for us.”

Dolphins boss Killick, meanwhile, said: “It was like watching the Cat and Fiddle against the Lord Nelson at times. But it was an amazing turnaround and you have to give them credit for it.

“We could have been eight-nil up inside 30 minutes and when they scored the first, I was only really irritated because we hadn’t kept a clean sheet.

“Then someone fell over at the crucial moment and they scored again, but it was still only irritation from my point of view because the scoreline didn’t look as respectable. Then at 5-3 the context of the game changed and they threw bodies forward.

“They deserved a draw but I am appalled that we allowed ourselves to get in that position.”

Dolphins: Jones, Byrne, Thomas, M Walker, Dibba, Richardson, Bailey-Pearce (Miles), Hubbard, S Smith (Gill), Preston, Cook (Gates).

Priory: Kearn, Costello (Rideout, 75), Legg, Grace, Dand, Harris (Crutchley, 70), Smith, Fairbrother, Osborne, Ewen, Sanderson. Unused subs: Taylor, Linpow, Hatch.

Other scores: New Milton 0 Blackfield 1, Poppies 3 Hamworthy United 3.