An impressive unbeaten streak for Deal is set to face a stern test. Despite having played more fixtures than the two teams behind them, a run of 11 matches without defeat has moved the Hoops well and truly into contention for a second-placed Southern Counties East Premier Division finish.
That run has included eight victories in total, five successive clean sheets and six wins in a row, the latest of which came courtesy of a 1-0 success over Rusthall on Saturday.
But there’s another big week ahead for Deal, who tonight are due to visit Fisher and travel to Glebe this Saturday. On Glebe, boss Steve King said: “They have got a lot of good players. “If we can keep going, it’ll be really pleasing because it will be so difficult. “But no one will want to play us at the minute.
After we’ve got through these two, five of our last seven [league] games are at home. “If we can keep in the hunt with Phoenix and Erith by next Monday, we’re going to be in a great place.” Young defender Alex Green has now joined permanently from Dover after a loan stint and was involved in the goal as striker Connor Coyne’s early effort proved the difference between the Hoops and Rusthall. “He was very good on Saturday,” King said. “We had a situation where Dover were considering calling him back so we took the decision to take him permanently until the end of the season.