Deal Town boss Steve King prepares for FA Vase Quarter-Final tie at Lincoln United sandwiched between league matches with Kennington and Lordswood within seven days

There is a unique balancing act for Deal manager Steve King to contend with over a vital few days in the course of their season.

The Hoops have reached the FA Vase Quarter-Final and will visit Lincoln United for a massive tie this Saturday.

But becoming Southern Counties East Premier Division champions remains the priority for King, whose side visit Kennington tonight and will host Lordswood next Tuesday.

“I’m trying to get the balancing act right,” King said. “I’ve never been in this situation before - probably not many managers that I could call on have been!

“I know Ben Smith very well and he got to the Vase Semi-Finals with Canterbury City - but they were nowhere in the league, really, so they could put all their eggs in the Vase basket.

“When Chatham and Sheppey ran away with the league, neither made the latter rounds of the Vase. Cray Valley, they won the league and lost the Vase Final.

“But there’s probably not many - if any - in the situation of having 15 (league) games to play in seven or eight weeks and a Vase run to try and contend with.

“Especially when you throw the Challenge Cup Semi-Final in as well (the Hoops were knocked out at the final-four stage last week), it’s quite a unique situation.

“I - along with the management team - are just trying to make the best and most sensible decisions that we can.”

Lincoln United are flying high in United Counties League Premier Division North but, like King’s outfit, they have a midweek fixture to focus on before their last-eight tie when £4,125 in prize money will be at stake.

King said: “It would be very naive and unlike me if we didn’t have at least one eye on it for the last couple of weeks.

“We sent one of our scouting team there on Saturday and will send