POOLE Town boss Tom Killick has warned his squad their play-off heroics will count for nothing unless they go on to clinch promotion.

The Dolphins booked their place in the Southern League Division One South & West end-of-season shake up thanks to a 1-0 win at Tiverton on Saturday.

Currently third in the table, Poole were an established South-ern League club for many years until they were relegated in 1996.

However, after regrouping and winning a hat-trick of Wessex League titles under Killick’s stewardship, the Dolphins have quickly adjusted to life back in the Southern League.

Killick told the Daily Echo: “We have been striving all season to get into the play-offs and it is an achievement to have finally got there. But it won’t actually mean anything unless we win them.

“We are going to be in there with three other good teams and have got to focus on winning them because, anything other than that, and it will all be forgotten. If you lose out, you start the next season in the same division and with the same chance as every other team.

“It has been our objective from the start of the season to reach the play-offs and it just makes you realise what is at stake. I just hope we can keep everyone fit and available and give a good account of ourselves.”

With second and third having home advantage in the semi-finals and the highest-placed finisher also staging the final, Killick knows Poole still have everything to play for in their last two regulation league games.

He added: “I am not bothered who we play but I am bothered about being at home. I feel we would get a really big crowd for a home match and that would give us an advantage over whoever we play.”