NEW Dolphins star Steve Devlin believes his experience can make the difference and turn Poole Town’s promotion dream into a reality.

The two-time Supporters’ Player of the Year at Dorchester Town shocked the non-league circuit last week by stepping down two levels to join the Dolphins on a two-and-half year contract.

But the 26-year-old insists his move to Southern League Poole does not signal a lack of ambition.

Devlin told the Daily Echo: “It is not in terms of the money why I’ve changed, it is the fact that Poole Town is a very good club that is on the up – they want to look to get into the next league and I like a challenge.

“No disrespect to Dorchester, but I don’t think they have the finances to go up and they will be stuck at that level.

“Dorchester is a very good club, and they have been very good to me, but with the way things worked out I had to make a change.

“I was due to come to Poole on loan earlier this season, but Dorchester pulled the plug on that.

“Now I’m here, my personal aim is to give my all and from what I’ve seen, there is enough quality to make the top five.

“We are knocking on the door and we are looking to push on, and I think that’s why |Tommy and the board of directors bought me in.

“There are a great bunch of lads here. We’ve just got to learn not to panic when we go a goal down, and it will come. I will try to help as much as I can.”

Devlin made his debut in Poole’s 4-1 win over Mangotsfield in Division One South & West on Saturday – appearing just hours after Dolphins had completed an undisclosed four-figure deal with Dorchester.

Dolphins chairman Clive Robbins added: “We needed and wanted to improve the squad, and having a player like Steve living locally and available was an opportunity we just couldn’t pass up.

“We found this league hard to begin with, but we’re getting greater success now and Poole deserves a team that is at least Southern Premier standard. We aim to get there by hook or by crook, whether that is this season or next.

“We haven’t broken the wage structure particularly, but it would be disingenuous of me to say we’re not spending a little bit more money than we did at the start of the season.

“We do look after our pennies here, though, and the club is solvent – we’re not going to go down the road of the late eighties or be going bust.”