Deal Town FC

MENS FIRST TEAM

Deal Town played Ashford United on 26th November 2024 in the Isthmian League South East Division. Deal Town lost three - one against Ashford in front of a crowd of 400 at the Charles Ground. The Deal goal came from Macaulay Murray.

On a cold old night at the Charles Ground the Hoops suffered the fourth defeat in their last five Isthmian League South East Division games.

And if you want to look for reasons why Deal have slipped into their first "sticky" patch of the season it's because they are currently conceding too many goals. The three that visitors Ashford United put past Steve King's side on Tuesday means they have let in 15 in their last five league matches, from which they have picked up only three points.

But the fact the Hoops are still in the top half of the table underlines what a generally encouraging start they have made to their "new life" in the higher league after last season's promotion-winning campaign, and at one point in the second half of Tuesday's encounter they looked set to pick up something despite conceding two more goals early on against an Ashford side who have recently found some good form themselves. The Nuts & Bolts struck twice in the opening nine minutes through Preston Kedwell, the son of manager Danny Kedwell, and Gary Lockyer and already looked on course to repeat the winning visit they had made to the Charles Ground in an FA Trophy tie back in September.

The Hoops though had other ideas and as the first half wore on they gradually started to pose Kedwell's men some problems, especially when Tom Chapman ran at their back four, and a typical Chapman burst presented Jamie Kennedy with the opportunity to reduce Ashford's lead just before half-time. But although the young "target man" is working as hard as ever it's not quite happening for him at the moment in the six-yard box and another chance went begging.

King's response at half-time was to make a second substitution. He had already brought on Ife Oni in the run-up to the interval and the pacy midfielder was joined for the second half by Archie Hatcher, and within five minutes of the restart the Hoops were right back in the game thanks to a penalty, his third in two games, from captain Macca Murray.

But King and the rest of the Deal "bench" clearly felt that the award of the spot kick alone was not reward enough, and that the Ashford player guilty of committing the foul tackle should have been shown a red card by referee Richard Joss. Alfie Foster's fourth-minute sending-off at Eastbourne Town on Saturday was still no doubt very raw in the Deal manager's memory, and if the Hoops had been given the chance to play against 10 men for most of the second half of this game the eventual outcome may well have been different, especially as Ashford definitely looked a little rattled after seeing their two-goal lead disappear.

However, just when they needed it, defender Craig Stone, one of their most experienced players, produced a moment to remember for the visitors. When the ball landed at his feet following an 82nd-minute long throw Stone lashed it across 'keeper Adam Molloy and into the far corner with a fierce half-volley to finally wrap up another winning visit to the Charles Ground for Kedwell's men.

Deal Town: Molloy, Paxman, Penny, Foster, T Chapman, Murray, B Chapman, Miller, Green, Kennedy, Vincent. Subs: Oni, Hatcher, Hennessey, Reeves, A Smith

Att: 400

SOURCE: Kevin Redsull

Deal Town Starting XI: Adam Molloy, Jack Paxman, Jack Penny, Alfie Foster, Tom Chapman, Macaulay Murray, Ben Chapman, Alex Green, Ashley Miller, Jamie Kennedy, Josh Vincent.

Subs: Alex Smith, Joe Reeves, Wes Hennessey, Ife Oni, Archie Hatcher.

Deal Goals: Macaulay Murray ('52)

Referee: Joss

Attendance: 400