Deal Town FC

7th November 2025

U13s vs Sheppey United (KYL)

Our u13s travelled to the Isle of Sheppey today with many of the team having played their third game in four days after a busy week for school and district respectively. Fatigue was naturally going to be a factor against a team riding high in the Kent Youth League, just one place above Deal at the start of play, in second place.

From the first minute Deal fashioned their first real chance. Stennett beat the full back on the right wing and hung a high cross which just hit the roof of the net. Then shortly after, a Styles corner was headed narrowly wide by Smith.

Both sides were adamant on playing with the ball on the floor, the battle for midfield supremacy was a keen contest and Deal were getting the upper hand. Ledger launched into a ferocious 50-50 tackle which he won and that set the tone for Deal’s dominance of the first half. The first goal arrived in the 10th minute and it was a moment of pure quality. King received the ball in the centre after good work from Husk. He then spread a long pass out to Stennett on the right wing who beat the full back again. This time his cross was perfect as King continued his run into the box to volley emphatically past the Ites goalkeeper at the far post. 1-0

Deal were now on top thanks to the hard work in midfield by Talling and Husk, and the rock solid defence of Smith, Beeden and Laval-Chesterton.  The forward line of Deane and King were a constant nuisance to the Sheppey defence, closing them down and allowing Styles and Stennett to win back possession. Deane had a couple of chances before the break, latching onto a Smith free kick and bravely clashing with keeper after a loose Sheppey ball.

HALF TIME: 1-0

The second half began more evenly as Sheppey looked to force an equaliser but the Deal defence stood firm. Sheppey were almost undone by sloppy play at the back, Deane almost capitalising on several occasions. The home side could count themselves lucky not to be down to ten men after Deane was fouled by the last man. The resulting free kick was just sent wide by King.

The tie was then killed off as a contest, just as Sheppey looked to force an equaliser. A free kick into the Deal box was not cleared effectively and after a goalmouth scramble, Deal cleared to the halfway line where Stennett rode a strong challenge and raced towards goal. His precision pass into Deane beat the offside trap, and the striker made no mistake with a left foot strike that the keeper got a hand to, but the power of the shot sent it over the line. 2-0

With the game now firmly in the bag, Deal began to move the ball around and created more chances. Patel joined the defence to make a back four to allow Deal to see the game out. Waitt struck a long range shot just over the bar and Deane created his own chance after beating several defenders with good footwork.

With two minutes remaining, a Styles corner from the right was hammered home by Vranoci from close range, his first goal for the club. The win sees Deal go second in the table and, whilst Sheppey were second best today, they clearly have a good pedigree to ensure they will have a good season in the Kent league.

FULL TIME: 0-3 (King, Deane, Vranoci)

U14s vs Lordswood (KYL)

Our Under 14s today hosted Lordswood, at Baypoint, which looked like it could be a tight game for both sides. However from the first minute Deal Town were on it and delivered a commanding performance with a 7–0 victory, we showed the tactical discipline and teamwork that have been the focus of recent training sessions.

From the first whistle, Deal Town looked sharp and determined, pressing high and controlling possession. Their efforts paid off early, with Mackenzie-Frazer opening the scoring and later adding a second via a great free kick to add to his tally. Strain followed suit with two well-taken goals, demonstrating great composure in front of goal following 2 corners.

Stennett, Frampton (scoring his first goal for DTFC) and Turner-Dauncey each added a goal to round off a complete team performance, with contributions coming from all areas of the pitch.

The team showed great determination, strong effort, and a clear understanding of the tactics we've been working on in training. The defensive held firm, the midfield transitioned smoothly with Groombridge working really hard first half winning a lot of the ball, and the attack was clinical. It was a performance that reflects the hard work and commitment of the entire squad.

A clean sheet and seven goals highlight a fantastic day for Deal Town U14s. The team will look to build on this momentum in upcoming fixtures, with confidence high and the tactical foundations clearly taking shape. The 3 points was well earnt and is what the boys deserved after some close games so far in the league this season. Next week our Under 14s travel to Herne Bay Youth

U16s vs Bearsted (KYL)

The U16s travelled to Bearsted, for a league game, at Lenham school on a small astroturf. From the first whistle to the last the boys played really good pass and move football that stretched Bearsted defence all over the pitch.

Deal took control of the game with a quick brace from Ollie; the first a good through ball from Reggie with Ollie dinking the oncoming keeper, the second came from a good cross from Ben G and a good touch from Ollie, a swivel and shot from 10yards finding the bottom left corner. A third goal was added, good build up play from Reggie and Sean leading to an overlap and cross from Reggie, finding Khylian at the back post, who set the ball to Oscar and swept the ball into the bottom corner from 18yrds.

Bearsted snatched a goal back 5mins before half time, a lapse in concentration at the back letting in a long range freekick find the bottom corner. Deal responded instantly when Oscar set the ball wide to Reggie, who fed Sean down the line who added a 4th for Deal; a dangerous cross come shot that evaded the keeper and finding the far post and back of the net.

HALF TIME: 1-4

Deal made all four subs at half time and that helped to continue to build pressure on the Bearsted defence. Bearsted held on until 60 minutes, before the next goal; Frank opening them up, dancing through their midfield before they took him down on the edge of the box. Oscar converting the freekick superbly in the top corner.

Deal continued in the same manner, moving the ball well from side-to-side to open up gaps in the Bearsted midfield and defence. Another great move from Reggie and Elliot down the left wing found Khylian in the box, who again picked out Oscar with a third man run, who converted comfortably. The final goal gave Khylian his hat-trick of assists and Oscar his hat-trick of goals, which were well deserved as the two-man midfield controlled the game throughout.

FULL TIME: 1- 6 (Oscar 3, Ollie 2, Sean 1)