Deal Town manager Steve King looks ahead to FA Cup tie at Isthmian League side Three Bridges

It’s back to FA Cup action this Saturday for Deal and manager Steve King claims they have nothing to lose.

The Hoops will visit Isthmian South East side Three Bridges after Riley Alford scored the only goal in their Extra Preliminary Round replay at Egham last Tuesday.

Three Bridges won 3-0 against Deal’s Southern Counties East Premier Division rivals Whitstable in the previous round but King doesn’t think his troops should fear taking on the Sussex side.

“From our point-of-view as a management team, we have been working on it since last Tuesday,” said King, whose Deal side went top of the league on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Canterbury City through efforts from Tom Chapman, Ben Chapman and an own goal.

“But, as a group, we will not talk about it until Wednesday. They should beat us in theory, they beat Whitstable in the Extra Preliminary Round, but we don’t mind being underdogs.

“We were probably underdogs against Glebe and in the replay as well.

“We will have good support, we have nothing to lose. If we get a draw and they have to come here on a Tuesday night, that won’t be the worst result for us.

“If we get into the First Qualifying Round, that’s when the Isthmian Premier teams come in - the likes of Folkestone and Margate.

“We have played a lot of good sides in the last few years so we will not be going there with any fear.”

Striker Aaron Millbank started on Saturday as Deal beat Punjab United 2-1 in Southern Counties East.

Millbank had plenty of higher-league offers but it was the Hoops who won the race to sign the former Gillingham frontman.

King added: “Our aim is to get the best local players.

“We are not going to sign many from Maidstone or London. Our aim was always to, over time, bring in the best local