Tom’s depleted squad were thankful for the return of Nic Jones and Dave Sturgess from long term injury and a debut for new signing from Hamworthy United , Ryan Dovell. But Lamin Dibba was still unavailable with groin strain and Pete Smith’s new job in London looks to have sidelined him from making regular appearances for the foreseeable future. Dan Cann is muted to be the next returning old boy if he can be prised away from Poppies to add to Andy Culliford and (the already suspended) Leigh Philiips who returned midweek. - we await developments.

On the pitch, Cowes have had a torrid start to this campaign and therefore were not expected to put up much of a challenge. But the Poole side that faced them today looked a shadow of their early season form again and made hard work of a fixture that, no disrespect to the visitors, should have been all over by half-time. Poole started bright enough Carl Preston’s runs down the left wing carved up the Cowes defence and led to a number of good crosses or forced corners. Trefor was enjoying similar free range on the right and early on it brought a number of superb saves from Sports Keeper Chris Norris. From a corner on 5 minutes, the ball came out to Preston whose goalbound shot was deflected away by Norris. He then scooped Steve Smith's curling effort from the byeline almost out of the goal as it looked to be dipping inside the far post with Stuart Brown ready to pounce on the slightest error.

With 12 minutes gone, Taffy had a header go wide on 14 minutes as Poole enjoyed the dominatnt play. But poole were caught at the other end soon after and from the resulting corner May Katutondua got the touch at the near post to put the visitors ahead, against the run of play. Lax defending again had undone the Dolphins and they have started to make a habit of going behind of late. The best way to respond to a goal against is to score quickly, the old adage says and Stuart Brown did just that, right footing home Skelton’s cross within a minute he’d levelled the score. 1-1.

Despite being ahead for less than a minute, Cowes had taken a lift from their goal and had a larger stake in the play. Taffy pulled up with a calf strain on 23 minutes and was replaced by Hubbard, and Poole started to boss the game again. On the half hour Trefor Smith lobbed in from wide on the left and Preston’s shot was blocked by Norris, Steve Smith pounced on the rebound and looked a cert to score from 4 yards but Norris amazingly blocked that shot too. A minute later, Preston turned supplier and his cross found Trefor on the far edge of the area his unchallenged shot went just wide. On 34 minutes Hubbard’s freekick slammed into the side netting after Augustus had hauled over a charging Stu Brown to earn the kick.

Poole pressure finally paid off and Brown got his second and put Poole ahead on 44 minutes. with a breakaway goal that went under Norris’s body from 20 yards out.

Half-time 2-1.

After the break, Poole should have buried the visitors as they looked crushed but, turned in a poor second half display that had Tommy in apoplexy on the sideline. The two remaining substitutions saw Dave Sturgess return to replace Skelton on 60 minutes and Ryan Dovell made his debut for a tired worn out Stu Brown on 75 minutes, but it did nothing to lift the sides momentum.

Poole's best chances of increasing their score fell to Steve Smith but he had a good shot blocked on 66 minutes and headed over a corner on 73 minutes. Luke Whitley fired over from another corner on 79 minutes. But the best chance fell to Steve Smith as time ran out, put through one-on one with Norris the Cowes keeper held his ground and pushed Smithy wide but having got beyond Norris’s reach the goalhunter blazed the shot well wide. It sort of summed up the half. Cowes picked up a pocket full of cautions from Referee Simon Johnson, in the last five minutes but thankfully and for a change he offered our lads not a single one.

Poole took the points and a win is a win, but Tommy was far from happy and out came the hairdryer big time, after the game. Confidence or something has been missing from the last few games and if we are to stay top, the team has to get back in the groove quickly. There was some evidence of the flair with which we started the campaign in this game but it was only for brief periods and in the second half it showed up not once.