EASTLEIGH striker James Constable has been paid the highest of compliments by Poole Town’s Tom Killick.

The Tatnam boss says Constable has been a “revelation” for the Dolphins since joining them on an initial month’s loan at the end of February.

And Killick, who has extended the veteran marksman’s stay until the end of the season, reckons the National League South strugglers would be at least halfway up the table by now if they had signed him last summer.

Killick said: “James has been a revelation since he arrived. This is no slight on any of our other players but, if we’d had James from the start of the season, we’d be halfway up the league as a minimum.

“I didn’t think he would be a player I would ever have the opportunity to sign. It just so happened that Eastleigh were looking to get him out to play some games and he lives in Ringwood, has a young family and wanted to play locally.

“I couldn’t believe my luck when we got him and he has been everything I hoped he would be - and more.

“Not only is he such a good player but, considering what he is used to in football in terms of the infrastructure his clubs have had, to have the attitude he has had in playing for us has been a revelation.

“My players pick up on that. As soon as you get a loan player in, they are under a bit of scrutiny from the other players in terms of how they are going to be and whether they are really going to buy into the cause.

“James has been brilliant and the other players have really taken to him. We have signed an exceptional footballer and an exceptional character and that has been a big boost for us.

“We have him until the end of the season, but we need him to be available for our games.”

Constable has registered one goal in five league appearances for Poole.That effort came in the 2-2 draw at East Thurrock when he was red-carded after the final whistle.

An appeal to the FA failed and the 33-year-old was absent for Poole’s crucial trip to fellow strugglers Hungerford Town this afternoon.

Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they got off to the worst possible start, stung by an early Lewis Leigh-Gilgrist goal.

Warren Bentley was Poole’s best bet to level the scores, but he had one effort saved and dragged another wide before Louie Soares (penalty), Leigh-Gilchrist and Nicholas Bignall sealed Hungerford a 4-0 win.