Poole Town vs Hungerford Town – Match Preview
We left the Bob Lucas Stadium on Saturday with a 2-0 defeat in a game the majority of Poole fans would have expected to win. With Walton & Hersham involved in the FA Trophy the gap at the top of the table remains 11 points, but The Swans have two games in hand.
Next up for the Dolphins is the visit of Hungerford Town on Saturday ko 3pm. They lost their mid-week fixture at Yate Town on Tuesday evening, 6-2 and had Jordan Rose sent off early in the second half. James Ollis, a former Hungerford player, scored a hat-trick for the home team. That defeat leaves them just above the relegation zone in 18th place (P28 W7 D8 L13 29 points) with only Tiverton (59) having conceded more than their 58 goals. They have picked up 12 points on the road mainly from three wins at Havant & Waterlooville 2-1, Basingstoke 2-1 and Hanwell Town 3-1.
We played out a goal-less draw at Bulpit Lane in September in a match that saw Owen Dore make his Dolphins debut. Both sides had chances to take all three points but perhaps a draw was always on the cards.
We also drew both matches against them last season, 0-0 at Tatnam in November and then 1-1 at Bulpit Lane in February. They finished the season in 7th place but 16 points off the play-off places, winning 16 of their 42 matches.
There will be several players to look out for on the day, not least the ex-Dolphin keeper Luke Cairney who seems to be front and centre of the action when we meet up against him. Looking to keep his scoring momentum going will be Conor McDonagh who is currently on 9.
The Crusaders are managed by Danny Robinson who made the switch to Hungerford Town after five very successful years with Thatcham Town. One of his most proud and memorable moments at the club was winning the FA Vase at Wembley in 2018 and he also won the Hellenic League title and guided the Kingfishers to promotion to the Southern League Division 1 South. Robinson was on the verge of another promotion with Thatcham before the season was null and voided due to Covid-19. He joined the Crusaders in early May 2020.
Since that match at Bulpit Lane, Owen Dore has made a huge contribution to the team, with 22 appearances to date. He originally signed for the club until January, but has now extended his stay at least until the end of the season. After progressing through the youth ranks of Oxford United and Southampton, the 20-year-old centre back signed for North Leigh in 2022. In January of the 2023, Dore signed for Salisbury and achieved promotion with the Whites from the Southern League Premier South via the playoffs where they beat Gosport Borough in the semi-final. Last season, he made 36 league appearances for Salisbury in the National League South and helped them remain in the division.
Even with last weeks disappointment we are still in second place and looking good value for a play-off spot. Gloucester City, Farnham Town, Gosport Borough and Sholing are hard on our heels so we can’t afford to drop too many more points.
Enjoy the game.
Neil Wellington.