POOLE Town took another giant stride towards the Southern League South & West play-off security thanks to a hotly disputed late penalty against 10-man Halesowen Town.

Steve Devlin converted for the Dolphins after referee Robert Abrams pointed to the spot following a foul on Carl Preston by Jean-Michel Gueyes.

Abrams then sent visiting boss Shaun Cunnington to the stands for his protests over the decision.

Tom Killick’s men dominated the first half with Taffy Richardson’s shot bobbling against the post and Halesowen right-back Andrew Westwood clearing off the line from Michael Walker’s header.

Defender Richard Huckfield was sent off for an elbow on Marvin Brooks on the stroke of half-time to make the visitors’ task even harder, but they rallied well after the break and spurned the best two opportunities of the half through striker Ben Haseley.

Poole upped the ante in the closing stages and ultimately grabbed the winner, although manager Killick admitted he was a relieved man.

He told the Echo: “I thought in the first half we played some of the best football we’ve played for a while. We moved the ball around well and created chances, but we didn’t take them.

“In the second half, we went long a little bit too often and in the end we needed a fairly controversial penalty to see us home.

“I was quite a long way away from it but there was some sort of coming together.

“The referee didn’t seem to hesitate, but I looked at the reaction of their bench and players and clearly they saw it differently.

“For us, it was just a relief because it still had to be put away. Devs (Steve Devlin), though, is the ideal person in that situation.

“I thought we were well worth our win in the end.”

Dolphins have a nine-point cushion in the play-off places and are now fourth in the table, within three points of second-placed Sholing.

Final placings could be vital in the end of season shoot-out which is played over one leg at the home ground of the highest placed team.

Killick added: “The be all and end all is to be in the play-off positions, but clearly home advantage would be a big bonus.

“For us, we’re just desperate to be in the play-off places and we’re not looking beyond that yet.”

Dolphins: Hutchings, Tallack, Spetch, Emmerson, Walker, Howes (Baldacchino, 64), Brooks, Devlin, Richardson (Joyce, 54), Preston, Cann (S Smith, 64). Unused subs: Pinder, Bayston.