Deal Town FC

MENS FIRST TEAM

Deal Town played Hythe Town on 17th September 2024 in the Isthmian Football League, Velocity League Cup. Deal Town won two - nil against Hythe in front of a crowd of 250 at the Charles Ground. The Deal goals came from Ife Oni and own goal from th Hythe Town 'keeper.

Deal manager Steve King knew it was important that, having lost their three previous home games, the Hoops 'stopped the rot' in Tuesday's Velocity Cup 2nd round tie against Hythe Town.

And Deal duly did the business against their fellow Isthmian League South East Division opponents thanks to a first half strike from Ifi Oni and a second goal direct from a Jack Penny corner within two minutes of the second half resumption.

A two-goal lead was always likely to be sufficient against a Hythe side who are struggling in front of goal so far this season, having scored only four times in their opening six league matches, and afterwards a relieved 'Kingy' said:

It wasn't a vintage performance on our part by any means but we've kept a clean sheet and stopped the rot after losing our last three home games.

The last time we lost three home matches in a row was four-and-a-half years ago and we certainly didn't want to make it four on the trot  so I'm pleased we've done that despite all the injury problems we've got at the moment.

That injury list was lengthened further for this game by the absence of captain Macca Murray, who picked up a knock in Saturday's defeat by Beckenham, and of Jack Paxman who was unwell, and so 'Kingy' was very pleased that he had been able to arrange a one-month loan deal with Dover Athletic for Matty Holness. And the young defender showed that he could prove a very useful acquisition by impressing enough down the Hoops' right flank to earn the Perry's Man of the Match award.

Another player who could well have been in the running for the award was Wes Hennessey. The striker continues to grow in confidence  and it was Hennessey who set up Deal's opening goal with seven minutes gone. He wriggled his way past a couple of challenges in the Hythe penalty area before pulling the ball back for Oni to finish off for his first goal of the season.

That was just the start 'Kingy' would have been looking for as his side sought to rediscover their normal winning  touch at the Charles Ground, and Deal could easily have doubled their lead before half-time while at the other end 'keeper Adam Molloy was a virtual spectator for most of the opening period.

But the home crowd didn't have to wait long for another goal to arrive once the second half had started. Deal were awarded a 47th-minute corner which Penny swung in towards the Hythe near post with his trusty left-foot, and Cannons' goalkeeper Joe Coleman tried to punch the ball clear but only succeeded in deflecting it into his own net. There then followed a touchline debate over whether Penny should be awarded the goal, or if it should go down as an 'own goal' on Coleman's behalf, and that  debate is likely to continue in the club bar even though Hoops' officials decided ruled afterwards that it would go down as an own goal.

But what it definitely did mean was that Deal now had a two-goal cushion against a pretty toothless Hythe attack, and so the Hoops' manager was able to give some 'game time' to four of his substitutes fairly safe in the knowledge that Deal had already booked their place in the next round. Their only really scary moment came when referee Peter Conn pointed to the penalty spot after a Hythe player was brought down in the box, but the Hoops' defenders quickly pointed out to Mr Conn that his assistant linesman had already raised his flag for offside, and that was virtually the end of the story.

The Perrys (Ford, Dover) Man of the Match, as selected by Alistair Bayliss, was Matty Holness.

The Deal team: Molloy, Holness, Penny, Vincent, Green, Munday, Oni, Page, B Chapman,  Millbank, Hennessey. Subs: Hammond, Jefferys, Reeves, A Smith, Davidson

Attendance: 250

Courtesy of Kevin Redsull

Deal Town Starting XI: Adam Molloy, Matty Holness, Jack Penny, Billy Munday, Aaron Millbank, Ben Chapman, Ife Oni, Wes Hennessey, Alex Green, Morgan Page, Josh Vincent.

Subs: Alex Smith, Kayden Jefferys, Kye Davidson, Joe Reeves, Zak Hammond.

Deal Goals: Ife Oni ('7) Jack Penny ('47)

Referee: Conn

Attendance: 250