Deal Town have moved to within touching distance of the South East play-off places with an incredible winning run, but now Steve King’s side this weekend face second placed AFC Croydon Athletic at the Charles Ground.
Their nine-nil win over luckless East Grinstead Town on Tuesday was the Hoops seventh win in a row and their eighth win since Christmas and means that they go into Saturday’s game just three points behind Sittingbourne and four behind Faversham Town the sides currently fifth and fourth in the table.
King has been talking to KSN ahead of this weekend’s massive game and told us, “We were pleased to get the win as we knew it was a potential banana skin and to be o dominant and to score as many goals was a really pleasing performance – we had two aims, to win the game and we also if we have ambitions to get in the play-offs we also know that Goal Difference could be so important!
“We had to work hard for it, and I thought they played well in the first half – we scored two quality goals, we didn’t have loads and loads of chances, but second half, I think our fitness and squad depth and ultimately our desire to keep playing at an intensity showed. It looks like an amazing result in the end to make it seven wins on the bounce!”
“We have certainly hit results at the right time! I remember when we went to Sittingbourne back in November, I felt we were playing well then whilst a lot of our results weren’t reflective of our performances, I did feel that we had a good run coming, but to do it now, to give us the chance to take the season deep keeps a lot of interest in the club and continues our progression having been promoted to step Four and it shows that we belong at this level and creates exciting times with ten games left!”
Deal go into Saturday just three points outside the play-off places, but King told us, “We have got ourselves in with a shout. I still think that we are long outsiders because we have been on the run which we know will end at some point as it’s hard to keep a run going for fifteen or sixteen straight wins. I am not saying that we have to do that, but it won’t be far off it – I still think that we are a long outside shot but the run has taken us now to within touching distance to where it could be on a set day, if we win a game and a team above us lose, we could sneak in.”
“I am also very pleased about the gap that we have put between us and the guys below us because there are some really good sides in that upper-mid table, Merstham who got in the Play Offs last year, obviously Margate who got in the play-offs last year, so I am just as pleased that we have opened up a gap on them and are being talked about in the play-off picture!”
“I think we are still the outsiders, but we are in the discussion!”
“Saturday will be really tough, but we have already beaten leaders Three Bridges at home – we don’t have any fear from the game at the weekend, we lost up there, but it was in the run of games where we weren’t getting results. I thought we played really well, we have beaten Bridges and Faversham at home so Saturday is not a game that we fear, but we know that we will have to be at our very best – they are a good side with a lot of experienced players and have had some good results recently.
“You’re not second in the League after thirty-two games without deserving to be – I’m sure Danny (Kedwell, the AFC boss) will still be thinking that if Bridges do slip up especially as they have a tough game at Sittingbourne at the weekend, I think Croydon could be only four points behind in the title race.”
“But you know if you had told me on January first, that there would be so much on the AFC Croydon game in March seventh, I honestly would have been worried that we would have been on a bad run and maybe being dragged in at the bottom end. But the fact that we are talking about the opportunity to put pressure in the play-off race is a brilliant feeling!”