MARK Bumford is predicting a sell-out crowd for Poole Town’s FA Vase semi-final after 450 tickets were snapped up by eager Dolphins supporters on the first day they went on sale.

Kevin Gill and Tom Jeffes cracked second-half goals as Dolphins toppled Totton & Eling and moved only seven points behind table-topping Winchester City, who were surprisingly held to a 0-0 draw at lowly Fawley.

But the Dorset side’s latest triumph, as they pursue a third successive Premier Division title, almost played second fiddle to the carnival atmosphere inside Tatnam generated by the purchase of Vase tickets among a crowd of 345.

Poole have made 1,700 available for their own fans for a last-four first leg tie against Vase holders Whitley Bay on Saturday, March 26, with 300 going to the visitors after ground capacity was set at 2,000.

The other 1,250 eligible for Dolphins supporters were due to go on general sale at 9.30am today from three outlets in Poole, The Soccer Locker and Jacobs & Reeves solicitors, both on the High Street, and the Dorset County Football Association offices at the County Ground, Hamworthy.

Bumford, Poole’s commercial director, said: “At 1.30pm on Saturday there was a queue of 30 people waiting to buy tickets and that was one-and-a-half hours before kick-off!

“We’ve never had people queuing that early to get into a game, but the atmosphere was great and some people were buying more than one ticket.

“The people in the queue were buoyant and we also had some additional merchandise on sale, red and white hats and comedy wigs to add to the party atmosphere.”

Asked if he felt all 1,700 tickets available to Poole fans would be snapped up, Bumford replied: “Yes, even after the initial interest dies down. I believe the game will be a sell-out.

“We’ve got Dorchester Town at Hamworthy United in the Dorset Senior Cup semi-final on Thursday and the DCFA have kindly said we can sell tickets that night as well.

“But if we sell them at 450 a day like we have, there might not be any left by then.”

Bumford confirmed Poole chiefs were due to meet with police officials today to discuss crowd segregation, particularly as Whitley Bay are understood to be bringing their full quota of 300 supporters.

The commercial director said: “We have brought in additional professional stewards for the game and will go by what the police say.

“I think it will be advisable to have a police presence outside and inside the ground, but that will be discussed at the meeting.”

Dolphins: Hutchings, Poore, Spetch, Dibba, Skelton, Sturgess (Richardson 59), Gill, Hubbard, Smith (Jeffes 62), Preston, Cann (Bassiriki 70). Unused subs: McCormick, Roberts.