Poole Town completed the perfect December as they recorded a sixth win in six games to extend their lead at the top of the table. In front of a bumper festive crowd Poole took to the field with a few changes. Charlie Austin suspended meant that Stuart Brown played up front on his own and with Sturgess and Skelton operating in midfield alongside Taffy Richardson, Kevin Gill and Mike Walker, Mickey Hubbard moved to right back.

This was always going to be a poor game. Somehow it's what you expect when playing Hamworthy United. They play to their strengths and with a lack of creative flair in their side it more often than not resorts to the long ball game and spoiling tactics to prevent their opponents from playing any decent football. So it was to be again. It was a scrap but a scrap that Poole were more than capable of competing in as they ground out another deserved win.

Poole got off to the perfect start when the goal came as early as the eighth minute. A ball over the home defence saw Gill race away and as the Hamworthy keeper Peters came out Gill lobbed the ball over him. Ex Poole player Michael White failed to clear the ball as it bounced and as it crossed the line he headed into his own net anyway.

Poole looked the more composed side with Sturgess playing well in midfield and Stuart Brown in particular impressing with his work rate up front on his own. He worked the front line very well providing a willing outlet at all times and holding the ball up well. Some patient build up on 18 minutes saw good interplay between Dibba, Hubbard and Gill before the ball came to Sturgess but his volley sliced high and wide.

On 27 minutes Stu Brown fed the ball back out to Richardson and his eventual cross found Brown again but in trying to keep his feet, his shot skewed across the face of the goal and wide of the post. There was little else to report in the first half as the match descended into a midfield battle.

Half time: 0-1.

Hamworthy enjoyed a bit more possession in the second half as they looked to get back in the game. Their only real chance came on 64 minutes when some panic in the Poole defence allowed Dancer to fire in a shot which eluded everyone but came back off the Poole post and was cleared away. Two minutes later and a Hubbard freekick wide on the right saw Mike Walker get up well but his header crashed back off the Hamworthy bar and was also cleared to safety.

Bailey-Pearce replaced Walker on 68 minutes and Steve Smith came on for Stuart Brown with ten minutes remaining. The match always looked like ending 1-0 and the final decent chance came on 82 minutes when the tireless and excellent Kevin Gill crossed from the right and with the keeper nowhere, Bailey-Pearce saw his header fly just wide of the post.