Deal Town boss Steve King warns against FA Vase hangover as they return to league action at home to Sutton Athletic

There cannot be an FA Vase hangover for promotion-chasing Deal, says manager Steve King.

The Hoops progressed to the Fourth Round of the competition thanks to a 2-0 win at Lingfield last weekend.

Deal host Sutton Athletic in the Southern Counties East Premier Division this Saturday as their focus switches back to league matters.

King said: “As much as we talk about the Vase, that’ll be parked for us now.

“We have got a huge month coming up.

“We just need to make sure that we don’t have an FA Vase hangover. We have to turn up at home on Saturday to try and pick up three points to keep ourselves in and around the play-off picture.”

Frontmen Aaron Millbank and Rory Smith were Deal’s scorers at Lingfield, despite the former also seeing a penalty saved.

“The word is probably that it was a ‘professional’ performance,” reflected King. “The pitch made it difficult.

Deal defender makes team-of-the-week

“I don’t think we played brilliantly but we won 2-0, kept a clean sheet, missed a penalty and so I can’t be too negative. From a purely footballing point of view, I thought we could have played better.

“But the Third Round of the FA Vase, going away in a potential banana skin, on a freezing cold day and on a difficult pitch, I was happy with what the boys did.”

Indeed, the work of the backline meant goalkeeper Henry Newcombe was limited to little action.

King said: “I thought the back four did well.

“Henry didn’t have much to do but he made one very important save at 2-0, just after we scored the second. It was his only real save of the game but it was a good one.

“Alex Green and Jack Penny both were outstanding. It was pleasing.

“But when we concede goals, we concede them as a team and, when we keep clean sheets, we keep them