Faversham Town manager Sammy Moore says this season’s Southern Counties East Premier Division title is Deal Town’s to lose after being beaten 4-2 by the Hoops

Boss Sammy Moore suggested the Southern Counties East Premier Division title is now Deal’s to lose this season after the in-form Hoops got the better of his Faversham team on Saturday.

Moore’s men lead the way at the end of 2023 - but they are only two points ahead of the Hoops, having been beaten 4-2 by them.

It was a 10th consecutive success for Steve King’s side, who have four league fixtures in hand, with the Lilywhites now winless in three games and around half the season still to play.

Despite refusing to give up his side’s title ambitions, Moore said: “I think it’s theirs to lose, with all their games in hand. Everyone is chasing them down now.

“We could have made it a lot better for ourselves today - but I said to Briggsy (goalkeeper Lewis Briggs), apart from the goals, he’s not had many saves to make.

“I thought their keeper (Henry Newcombe) looked a bit shaky for most of the game but we didn’t test him enough.

“When we did, Stefan Payne goes through one-on-one in the first half and mis-hits it, and KC (Kieron Campbell) goes through in the second half and mis-hits it. So we have had our moments in the game.

Report: Faversham 2-4 Deal

“When the game was tight at 2-2, I didn’t really feel threatened by them. We just switched off.”

After a decent start, Faversham were stunned as forward Rory Smith put the visitors ahead in the fourth minute in front of a crowd of 779 at Salters Lane.

But it was 2-2 by half-time, midfielder Sam Hasler equalising through a deflected free-kick and frontman Stefan Payne also netted after midfielder Billy Munday briefly restored the away side’s advantage from a corner.

Both second-half goals went the way of Deal, though. Striker Aaron Millbank fired home before he added his second