Faversham Town manager Sammy Moore describes his frontrunners and in-form Deal Town as the two title favourites ahead of their showdown at Salters Lane this weekend

Faversham boss Sammy Moore reckons his side and in-form weekend visitors Deal are the two favourites in this season’s hotly-contested Southern Counties East League Premier Division title race.

While the Lilywhites sat top of the tree at Christmas, the Hoops are only five points behind them and still have four matches in hand.

Indeed, Deal head into the game this Saturday at Salters Lane on a nine-match winning run while Faversham have drawn successive away matches 2-2 against promotion rivals Glebe and Whitstable.

On the battle to be crowned champions, Moore said: “I think it’ll be between us and Deal from what I’ve seen, to be honest.

“They’re going very well and I know pretty much all of their players. They have mostly been together for four years so they have got that camaraderie and togetherness.

“They have some players that can hurt anyone on their day - Aaron Millbank, Rory Smith, the Chapman brothers and Macauley Murray. They’re strong from set-pieces.

“But we’re at home. Our boys know we need to try to get a win, and that’s what we will be going to do.

Report: Whitstable 2-2 Faversham

“The main thing is we don’t come out of that game with a defeat.

“Then, we dust ourselves down and go into a run of fixtures where we can really put a strong run together.”

Deal - actually yet to face the Lilywhites this term - could move some way clear at the summit if they win their games in hand. But the Hoops also remain in the FA Vase and the Challenge Cup, and Moore would rather be in Faversham’s position than that of Deal.

He said: “There’s going to be swings and roundabouts.

“(Coach) Darren Hare said last week that you’re not going to win the title at Christmas - but you can put yourself in a good position to go and win