BOSS Tom Killick was left to rue “one lapse in concentration” and a series of “horrific” results elsewhere as Poole Town slipped back into the bottom four in National South.

Adam Coombes’s header condemned Dolphins to defeat at the Beveree Stadium as high-fliers Hampton & Richmond Borough registered a sixth successive league victory.

Coombes, signed on loan from Sutton United on the eve of the contest, settled a dour contest in favour of the hosts with a debut goal just three minutes into the second half.

And Poole’s woes were compounded by wins for fellow strugglers Bognor Regis Town, Oxford City and Concord Rangers as they dropped to 19th in the table.

Killick told the Daily Echo: “It wasn’t a very good game in terms of neither side created many chances. But, being the away team, that was more of a positive for us.

“There was hardly anything in it. We just had one lapse in concentration and they scored from it early in the second half.

“After that, we huffed and puffed, particularly at the end, to try to get back on terms but we didn’t ever look like we were going score.

“Apart from the goal, we defended very well and I felt we were frustrating them. If you are going to play like that the risk you take is that one lapse will cost you and that’s what happened.

“We had to shuffle things around as Will Spetch was suspended so Lewis Lindsay played in the middle of the back four and did very well.

“It was quite a workmanlike performance. Hampton have now won seven games in a row in all competitions but they barely created an opportunity against us.

“We had set up to defend quite deeply, get bodies behind the ball and look to try to break on them.

“But they were a powerful outfit and physically very good. They were very athletic and quite an imposing side.

“Where they weren’t cutting through us, they had a plan B and still had a real physicality in terms of set-pieces so were always a threat.

“We have set up the same way in our past few away games and, by and large, it has served us well. It wasn’t a terrible performance, it just wasn’t quite enough.

“The one lapse led to us earning no points and there were some horrific results around us from our point of view.”

Killick added: “We need points and all the teams around won so the overriding emotion was one of great disappointment.

“The players put a lot into the game but got nothing for their efforts and it is painful when that happens.”

Poole visit St Albans in the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy on Saturday before hosting leaders Dartford at the Black Gold Stadium on December 2.

Dolphins: Hutchings, Moore (Gillespie, 70), Harfield, Lindsay, Whisken, Pettefer (Dickson, 70), Neale, Devlin, Bentley, Brooks, Bedford (Balmer, 85). Unused subs: Leslie-Smith, Rees (g/k).