After Poole were drawn at home to Swindon Supermarine, we take a look at some statistics surrounding the Dolphins’ record at this stage of the competition. All stats not including this season’s draws.
Dolphins have entered the competiton at this stage 50 times before, winning an impressive 37 ties – a win ratio of 74%.
As usual with Tommy Killick stats, there is a marked difference under Killick – who has won 9 out of 10 ties, giving him a ratio of 90%. One of those wins was last season’s walkover against Merthyr Town.
Funnily enough, Merthyr – or at least the previous incarnation of the club – were Poole’s opponents when Killick first reached the First Qualifying round, back in the 2008/09 season.
If you count Merthyr Town and Merthyr Tydfil as the same club, Poole have faced eight clubs on multiple occasions at this stage of the cup – East Cowes Victoria, Ryde Sports, Bridport Town, Dorchester Town, Shaftesbury, Devizes Town, and Saltash United.
Of those teams, the Dolphins have faced fellow Dorset side Bridport most frequently in this round – five times in total, including three years in a row from 1964 to 1966.
Poole won all of those ties, some by large margins, namely; 6-3 (1960/61), 7-0 (1962/63), and 6-1 (1974/75).
In recent years, Dolphins have always been the higher ranked side in the draw, a streak running all the way back to 2011-12, when they throughly outplayed Isthmian Premier side Kingstonian. Poole were only in their first season in the Southern League South & West, but ran out 3-0 winners at Tatnam.
Despite the Dolphins being the perceived favourites based on league standings, they have made hard work of recent ties, winning their last three played ties 1-0 each time.
Fans may remember Corby Moore’s last gasp winner leaving a trail of dust on the sandbowl that was Didcot’s pitch, or the cagey affair at Dorset neighbours Shaftesbury.
Poole had to hang on to Luke Roberts’ first-half strike to edge past a side two divisions below them.
Dolphins were exempt from the 1st Qualifying Round during their two year stay in the National South, so we have to go back to the 2015/16 season to when Dolphins squeezed past Western League Barnstaple Town by the same scoreline.
A Steve Devlin penalty was all that seperated the two sides at Tatnam on that day.
Predictably, Poole have been drawn away in this round almost as many times as they have at home – 26 away ties, 24 at home.
Considering all of Poole’s ties in every round, that trend continues – with 91 away draws compared to 89 drawn at home.
All Poole Aren't We 