Pooled Apart

In truth Diddy could have got something from the game had they took their chances, especially when the home side were reduced to ten men early in the second half.

Diddy took-on the Dolphins missing a number of key players through injury, suspension and absence. Keeper Craig Griffiths, Taylor Janes, Lewis Noble, Harry Halls and Michael McKirnan were all drafted into the squad at the last moment, Griffiths making his First team debut in the process.

The match took a while to get going and was halted by a serious head injury to Poole’s Sam Clarke, who was stretchered off and taken to hospital.
The match had been interrupted by almost ten minutes, and both sides struggled to get going again. However, it was Didcot who took an unlikely lead on 27 minutes. Tom Wray somehow deflected an in-swinging free-kick from Morgan Williams into the net past Nick Hutchings from close range.

But Diddy were unable to hold-on to the advantage. Seven minutes later Steve Devlin’s corner was fumbled by Griffiths and the ball crept over the goalline.

And it got worse for the visitors shortly before the break. Another Devlin corner caused panic in the Diddy box and Michael Walker fired home to put Poole ahead for the first time in the game.

Early in the second half Poole’s Marvin Brooks was red-carded after picking up a second yellow card. But rather than opening the door for the visitors, it was the Dolphins who immediately added a third. Substitute Lamin Dibba found Warren Byerley who made no mistake to make it 3-1.

Didcot will rue their profligacy in front of goal as Morgan Williams twice, Mark Janes and Joel Meade all had good chances to get Didcot right back into it but either failed to hit the target or found Hutchings in fine form.

With Diddy committing men forward they were hit on the break when Devlin found Jacob Cane who slotted home past Griffiths.

The result put Poole top of the table and left Diddy on a run of four straight defeats with two of the League’s promotion candidates, Swindon Supermarine and Merthyr town, to play this week.

Didcot: Griffiths; Bernasconi (McKirnan 75); Stanley; Meade; Carnell, Wray; Halls (Noble 70); Heapy; M Janes; M Williams; T Janes
Subs not used: none