Coming into the match on the back of a seven-match winning streak, Deal Town’s late season surge towards to Isthmian South-East play-off places hit the rails, as a late Josh Williams strike gave Danny Kedwell’s Croydon the spoils in a tightly contested match at the Charles Sports Ground.

After a cagey opening, Deal started to grow into the match and created the first chance of note on 10 minutes. A flick on from Jamie Kennedy found Rory Smith on the edge of the box, but his shot cleared the crossbar. The home side kept the pressure on but always had to be weary of the three-pronged attack of wingers Brandon Pierrick and Williams, along with front man David Bremang.

The breakthrough for the home side finally came on 19 minutes after a quick series of corners. From the last of these, the ball fell to Kennedy whose shot inside the box nestled into the bottom corner of the net to give Deal a deserved lead.

With Deal in the ascendancy, Croydon were given a way back in the match on 27 minutes. From another Deal corner, taken by Jack Penny, the ball floated straight onto the crossbar.

Croydon quickly cleared the ball to Josh Williams, who outpaced his defender, and his cross shot from the edge of the box rocketed into the bottom corner of the net giving home keeper James Tonkin no chance.

This seemed to revitalise the visitors who created a few half chances before the break, but nothing to trouble Tonkin into action.

Deal came out the traps quickly in the 2nd period, with an early chance for skipper Alfie Foster, but he shot well over from a good position. Soon after, Penny repeated his feat from the first half by putting his corner directly onto the crossbar.

The home pressure continued, and on the hour mark Deal had the ball in the net from the head of Foster, but the home celebrations were soon curtailed as the referee disallowed it for a foul in the box. Three minutes later, following another disallowed effort from the home side, Steve King’s protests lead him going into the referee notebook.

Croydon, always a threat on the break, constantly looked to use the pace of the excellent Williams, and ten minutes from time, it nearly paid off. A long ball from the back found Williams on the wing, and beating his man, was one on one with Tonkin, but the Deal custodian did well to smother the shot.

Back down the other end some good work by Kennedy created a good opportunity for Zak Hammond, but he shot high over the bar.

With the match heading for a draw, Williams claimed a 90th minute winner. Chasing onto a through ball and challenging keeper Tonkin on the edge of the box, the Croydon man won ball and chipped delightfully into the empty net. In the five minutes of injury time that followed, Deal appealed in vain for a late penalty and Ash Miller shot wide, but it was not to be.

The result sees Deal five points from the final play-off place with nine games to go. The home faithful amongst the 500 plus crowd today will feel they fully deserved at least a share of the points today.

Deal Town – Tonkin, Hammond, Penny, Foster (Vincent), Strouts, Kennedy, Chapman, Smith, Paxman (Miller), Wilkinson, Davies.

Subs – Reeves, Green, Fielding

AFC Croydon Athletic – Beckles, Watson, Jebb, Kedwell, Afrane-Kesey (Grant), Bremang (Binnom-Williams), Pierrick (Daniel), Dreher, Williams, Dunne (Taylor), Wynter

Subs – Oldfield

Referee – Mr. Joss

Attendance – 507