POOLE Town boss Matt Tubbs bemoaned a lack of consistency as his side managed to lose 5-4 at home to Salisbury despite leading by two-goals on three occasions.
Dolphins had led by two in the first half via Kyran Samadi’s double, Luke Pardoe restoring the two-goal cushion heading into the break after Sam Perry had reduced arrears.
Charlie Gunson pulled another back for the away side but Toby Holmes had the response for the hosts, doubling Dolphins’ advantage once more.
However, that is where the goals stopped for Poole, with Salisbury rallying back through Dan Fitchett and a Noah Coppin brace.
There was one last twist in the tail, when Tony Lee smashed a stoppage-time penalty over the bar.
REPORT: Poole throw away two-goal lead as Salisbury win nine-goal thriller
Asked what the mood was like in the Poole Town dressing room, Tubbs told the Daily Echo: “The whole dressing room was really frustrated.
“I mean you’ve scored four goals at home, you shouldn't really lose a game of football.
“We're bitterly frustrated with a number of things.
“But we scored four goals, four good goals.
“We give ourselves a hell of a chance.
“But you give teams like Salisbury half-chances and they punish teams.
“We said before the game, and at half time, they're very good at scoring late on, which they showed.
“They hit us on the counter a couple of times, which is frustrating that we didn't manage the game at the right time.
“I think everyone's bitterly frustrated, but all we ask from Saturday is a reaction.
“We got it from half of a performance.
“But we didn't get over the line. We need a bigger reaction now on Saturday.”
After a poor showing away at relegation battlers Tiverton Town on Saturday, Dolphins returned to Tatnam Farm to go toe-to-toe with one of the division’s best teams.
“It's a lack of consistency that we have at the minute and it's something that's not new to everyone,” continued Tubbs.
“We've said that all along, we need to be more consistent.
“We need to not only win games and results, but the way we play as well.
“We set up game plans, there's times in games where we tend to go away from that, which is just as frustrating as the result.
“But we have to stick together as a group.
“That's the only thing we can do.
“We've got a good group of lads in there, they're well drilled.
“We just need to manage games bit better and stick together.”
Poole return to action this weekend, when they host Hanwell Town at Tatnam Farm on Saturday, February 3 (3pm).
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