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Matt Badcock: We’re winning with the Dolphins

As the one-year anniversary of their arrival at Poole Town ticked by in the week, management duo Pat Suraci and Joe Lea would no doubt have paused to reflect on quite how much has changed since then.

by
The Non-League Football Paper Team
11 January 2026

Shaq Gwengwe has a remarkable 29 goals in 27 appearances for Poole Town so far this season

Matt Badcock - The NLP’s Editor-At-Large

As the one-year anniversary of their arrival at Poole Town ticked by in the week, management duo Pat Suraci and Joe Lea would no doubt have paused to reflect on quite how much has changed since then.
Last January, the former Petersfield Town joint-bosses swapped Gosport Borough’s play-off push for the Dolphins’ relegation battle.
A run of six consecutive Southern League Premier South defeats early on in their tenure – five of them without scoring – only showed to illustrate the task they’d willingly taken on.
Safety was only secured on the final day...

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