Deal Town boss Steve King tips weekend visitors Bearsted as dark horses to finish in the Southern Counties East Premier Division play-offs this season

Manager Steve King is tipping Deal’s weekend visitors Bearsted as dark horses to make the Southern Counties East League Premier Division play-offs.

King’s Hoops head into their last league home match of 2023 in fine form, with a 2-0 victory at Rusthall having moved them back into the play-offs last weekend - with plenty of games in hand on those above them.

Deal have already beaten the Bears twice this term - 4-2 in the league last month and 2-0 in the Challenge Cup in late October - but King has a lot of respect for long-serving Bearsted boss Kevin Stevens and his troops.

“I really rate Bearsted,” said King, with the Bears coming into the game after a 3-2 triumph over high-fliers Erith Town.

“I think they could be dark horses for the play-offs.

“Obviously, they beat Erith Town on Saturday and Erith Town are always difficult to beat.

“We’ve beaten them twice at their place but they gave us two really big tests. We’re good at home so we will go into Saturday very confident.

“But I like Kev Stevens and they’re a good club. Saturday is another massive game.”

Wideman Rory Smith and recent recruit Ife Oni ensured Deal won away to a Rusthall side who they recently thrashed 7-3.

King reflected: “It was a banana skin for us.

“We beat them quite comfortably at home a few weeks ago - but every side is a different proposition at home.

“There were some strange refereeing decisions throughout the afternoon, which added to the complexity of it.

“But we scored a goal in each half, kept a clean sheet and it turned out to be a really good weekend.”

For the Hoops, who was without in-form striker Aaron Millbank at Rusthall due to illness, it was a second consecutive 2-0 away triumph - albeit a fortnight apart.

Deal are on an eight-match