Having gone back to the top of the table with the point from Tuesday's draw at Wimborne Town, The Dolphins returned to Tatnam looking to extend their league lead with many other clubs involved in the FA Vase 1st Round.

The starting eleven was the same as Tuesday with Whitley and Gill on the flanks and Dibba, Browne, White and Poore across the back. There was a welcome return for Shane Ayres who started on the bench.

This was a strange match in many ways. After the intensity of the Cowes, Frome and Wimborne games this all felt just a little flat right from the start. There seemed to be less chat and the majority just appeared to be going through the motions, doing enough to win the game comfortably. I'm sure the players were not taking it easy in any way but the usual spark and sharpness just seemed less then usual.

On 14 minutes a long throw was flicked on well by Taffy Richardson to the far post and Luke Whitley had to just stretch too far and his header went high over the bar. The first half hour saw Romsey play some fairly decent football themselves and they looked a better side than they did last season. However, Poole broke the deadlock on 27 minutes with a really good goal. Austin won the ball and sent Gill down the right. Whitley raced into the box from the left wing (having swapped flanks with Gill) and as he called for it unmarked Gill picked him out with a great cross and Whitley produced a classic diving header to steer the ball back across the face of the goal, burying it in the bottom right hand corner. A great move and a great finish.

Stuart Brown got involved in a few incidents during the first half and received a yellow card on 37 minutes for an adjudged elbow. His afternoon would end at half time as Killick replaced him with Steve Smith for the second half - a wise move in view of the fact that probably any other foul would have seen his second yellow card being produced.

On 38 minutes the Romsey number 11 jinked past a couple of players and his left foot shot had Harvell scrabbling across his goalmouth to push the ball away for a corner. It was as close as Romsey would get to scoring.

On the stroke of half time Hubbard sent a freekick into the visitor's box and Taffy's header looked goal bound before the ball disappeared amongst a body of players - the goalkeeper finally emerging with the ball firmly clutched to his chest.

Half time: 1-0

On 53 minutes a brilliant through ball saw Steve Smith and Luke Whitley beat the offside trap and bear down on goal. With the keeper closing the angle to Smith and Whitley screaming for the ball 10 yards to the left of him the young striker went for goal only to see his shot come off the keeper's legs for a corner. His reaction and that of Whitley's confirmed what a golden chance it had been for Poole to double their lead.

Five minutes later and Poole did make it two and for the second time in four days a Mickey Hubbard 'freak' freekick was the source. Fully forty yards out he thumped his freekick into the box. It always looked too straight and both teams stopped dead knowing there was no danger. Unfortunately for Romsey the keeper also misjudged it and the ball bounced over him into the left corner of the net.

Romsey looked pretty much out on their feet during the last quarter of the match and Poole continued to dominate possession without ever really playing well at all. On 67 minutes Taffy Richardson spun a fine ball out to Gill with the outside of his right foot and Gill raced away, cut inside and fired a great 25 yard left foot shot past the keeper to make it 3-0.

Sturgess and Swann replaced Browne and Austin as the match limped along towards the final whistle. Just into injury time and Steve Smith again raced away one on one with the keeper but this time he made no mistake as he placed the ball just wide of him into the net.

Job done.