A season which promised so much ended in despair for Poole Town, as they suffered a crushing defeat at home to St Neots Town in the Southern Premier League play-off semi finals on Tuesday night.
The defeat completes a monumental collapse, which has seen them go from looking like champions elect, to failing to reach the play-off final.
In truth it was always going to be tough for the Dolphins to pick themselves up after losing the title on Saturday, and in St Neots Town they were coming up against a side who had tasted defeat just once since Boxing Day, and who had all the momentum going into the play-offs.
Poole made a bright start – passing the ball well and looking to stamp their authority on the game.
Keith Emmerson picked up the ball on the wing and cut inside before stinging the palms of experienced goalkeeper Paul Bastock.
Apart from that early warning it was a fairly cagey opening, but the tie came to life midway through the half.
Matt Butcher recieved the ball on the edge of the D, and was millimeters away from opening the scoring for the hosts, but his shot hit the foot of the post. It bounced back out, and Luke Burbridge reacted quickest. He was then cursing the woodwork as his looping header bounced off the top of the crossbar, before Steve Devlin’s header brought a stunning reflex save at point bank range from Bastock, and the ball was eventually hacked clear.
However, the ball was launched back towards the St Neots goal, and Bastock went from hero to zero – diving at the feet of Luke Burbridge and bringing the winger down, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a penalty.
Steve Devlin is normally Mr. Reliable from the spot, but Bastock rolled back the years again – making up for his mistake with sharp save low down to his right to palm the ball onto the post, before it was deflected behind for a corner. The football gods really must have it in for the Dolphins!
The resulting corner was then headed wide of the mark by Will Spetch, as the visitors somehow held on.
The Saints only began to trouble the Poole goal in the few minutes before half time.
The division’s joint top scorer Drew Roberts attempted an audacious effort from around 35 yards which was comfortably taken by Nick Hutchings, before a string of corners eventually culminated in Lee Clarke heading straight at Hutchings, and that was the last action of the first half.
The second half was in truth, pretty lifeless. Poole’s frustrations were clearly beginning to get the better of them – with players trying to do too much on their own, and the visitors looking increasingly dangerous on the counter.
Clarke again had a good chance to break the deadlock for the visitors, but he somehow managed to head over the stand when unmarked on the edge of the six yard box.
Poole were struggling to cope with the Saints’ long throw tactics, and they nearly paid the price when Lorenzo Ferrari’s flicked header was collected by Clarke in the middle of the box. He turned well but Nick Hutchings showed top reflexes – sticking out a leg to deflect the ball wide for a corner which came to nothing.
The game was opening up, and the Dophins came close with one of their few second half chances.
Mason Walsh held the ball up on the edge of the box before playing in Devlin. Devlin’s low ball in found Matt Butcher, but his shot was deflected wide by a desperate covering defender.
You sensed one goal would be enough for either side, and with a quarter of an hour remaining – the hosts finally paid the price for failing to deal with the visitor’s long throw tactics.
Skipper Ryan Frater’s long throw was flicked on to Lee Clarke, who headed past Hutchings from a couple of yards out, sending the travelling fans into delirium, and leaving the Dolphins with that all too familiar sinking feeling.
Poole now had to go for broke.
Devlin pinged a lovely ball wide into the path of Walsh, and his cross fell to Harrison Gilkes, but Bastock wasn’t to be beaten – and he got down well to deflect the ball away before it was cleared by a defender.
With minutes remaining, Hutchings picked up the ball in his penalty area and travelled a good twenty yards with it before attempting a pass to Lindsay. But the keeper’s decision to come off his line very nearly backfired, when Lee Clarke nabbed the ball off the defender before attempting a shot from forty yards.
Hutchings was nowhere near it, but he no doubt breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw the ball bounce off the top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick.
Poole huffed and puffed, but they were completely out of ideas and out of steam, and St Neots played out the final few minutes with no real worries.
The full time whistle blew, and there was a real feeling of deja vu around Tatnam as the home side sunk to their knees in despair, whilst the visitors ran off to celebrate with their travelling supporters.
Poole had blown an unbelievable opportunity, and they had blown it big time.
At the start of April they had been four points clear of Corby with a couple of games in hand. But they began to stutter at the worst possible time – and a run of four games without a win; including three straight away defeats at the start of the month, allowed Corby right into contention.
But even just a week ago, following a goalless draw at Weymouth, they went into their last game of the season knowing a draw would see them crowned champions, and they were less than ten minutes away from the title before being hit with a sucker punch.
And when Steve Devlin fails from the spot with probably his most important kick in a Poole shirt, they probably got the sense it just wasn’t to be.
It’s obvious they ran out of steam towards the end, and with the amount of games they were having to catch up on that’s hardly a surprise. It cost them a play-off spot altogether last season, and it’s cost them again this season.
In the end both Weymouth and Poole threw away their promotion hopes, but there are positives for both. They both achieved their highest finishes for many years, and both have a good base to build on for next season.
Right now it’s unclear which players will be staying and going at both clubs, but it promises to be an interesting summer. You can be sure both will return bigger and stronger in August.
Right now though Poole will be looking back on what an amazing opportunity they blew. So near, yet so far.
James Spring
