Deal Town boss Steve King looks ahead to Velocity Cup second-round tie at Erith Town

Manager Steve King insists Deal’s much-changed team will not take their Velocity Cup away tie lightly tonight.

The Hoops will take on familiar foe in Erith Town in the second-round match.

Deal have already beaten Adam Woodward’s Dockers 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the FA Trophy earlier this month.

While King says he’ll give some of their key players a rest ahead of back-to-back home league games against Sevenoaks this weekend and Eastbourne on Tuesday, he wants some of his squad players to stake their claim for more regular first-team football.

He said: “We’ll make changes but we have got a strong squad.

“We’ll be going there to win, like we did when we went to Sittingbourne in the Kent Senior Cup, where we lost on penalties (being beaten 4-1 after a 2-2 draw at Woodstock).

“We will probably make six, seven or eight changes but our youngsters are good. The people we put in - Mef Esumobi will play, Ife Oni will play, Owen Wilkinson will play, Jack Palmby will play and young James Fielding will play - who was unlucky not to be in the squad on Saturday. I just couldn’t really afford to put five forwards on the bench!

Report: Chatham 3-1 Deal

King: I’ve gone through a lot of emotions!

“We might (play young keeper Dan Smith), as well. I haven’t decided on that one because I think it helps goalkeepers to keep playing and, obviously, Jacob Strouts will be back. Jack Penny and Joe Reeves need minutes.

“So, it’s going to be a changed side - but it’s not going to be a ‘Give up and just get beat’ sort of side.

“Ultimately, if those players want to get in the side regularly, then they have got to perform in those sorts of games. We will probably give your Jack Paxmans and Ben Chapmans a rest because both were