Unbeaten in the league Cowes Sports made the midweek trip to Tatnam in an effort to dent Poole's 100% start to the season. For Poole Carl Poore returned to the starting line-up and Luke Whitley dropped to the bench as Michael White made his second consecutive start. Despite his knock on Saturday Grant Porter was fit enough to fill in for the absent Jason Harvell.

Cowes always provide good opposition and it was import ant that Poole got on top early in the game. This they did as they set about the visitors right from the first whistle. The confidence within the side at the moment is sky high and this can be seen so clearly in the way the team plays. Everyone, without exception, wants the ball and, in possession, everyone else knows what to expect. It is very encouraging to see.

This was a good game of football. Cowes always like to get the ball down and play as well and they are not a team to try and kick the other side all over the place if things are not going their way. Like Poole they like to play at a higher tempo and even when 3-0 down they were still hurrying to take throws, goalkicks etc.

Taffy Richardson was superb in the first half of this match - his best performance this season for sure. On 17 minutes he produced a delightful ball over the last defender and Stuart Brown was away. As Brown got just inside the box he fired a fine right foot shot across the keeper and into the bottom left corner of the net. It was a fine goal to mark his 100th league appearance for the Dolphins. Congrats to Stu!

Poole continued to play some great football and the second goal duly arrived on 31 minutes. The Cowes keeper had come rushing out of his area to collect a ball and he then proceeded to go round two Poole players and got as far as the halfway line before booting the ball harmlessly deep into the Poole half. As he scurried back Poole broke quickly and despite the keeper being back in goal, good work from Gill and Poore on the right saw the ball played into Richardson inside the Cowes area and he finished coolly - his first goal of this season.

Half time: 2-0.

If Cowes had any hopes of getting back into the game, these were extinguished immediately on the restart. Poole started the second half in the same form that they finished the first. From a Poole corner on 48 minutes the ball was flicked along the edge of the box and Bailey-Pearce fired a right foot volley into the top right corner of the net. Three very good goals from the Dolphins today.

Despite encouragement from the bench to 'not let the game die' it was almost inevitable that the game slowed from it's pulsating first half. The game was won and Poole just set about seeing the result through. This they did very well - pass followed pass as they simply retained possession for long periods. They were also very patient and if no gaps existed then they simply played it back across the defence and started again.

With an eye on Saturday's cup tie Killick made three replacements, all on the hour mark. Sturgess, Swann and Steve Smith all came with Bailey-Pearce, Brown and Austin being rested.

No more goals but an excellent team performance once again from the league leaders.