Deal Town FC

MENS FIRST TEAM

Deal Town played East Grinstead Town FC on 19th April 2025 in the Isthmian League South East Division. Deal Town won one - nil against East-Grinstead in front of a crowd of 583 at the Charles Ground. The Deal goal came from Ife Oni.

Ife Oni’s early goal earned Deal the three points that will ensure Steve King’s side finish in the top half of the table in their debut season in the Isthmian League South East Division. 

And that is an achievement everyone at the Charles Ground can be justifiably proud, following on from the Hoops’ title-winning success in the Southern Counties East League 12 months ago.  

That said, this particular game was definitely one which will not live long in the memory, with King admitting afterwards:

If you want to show people how you can ruin a game of football then give them a rock-hard, bobbly pitch and a swirling wind, the sort of conditions we had today and which meant that anyone would have struggled to play good football. 

So I’m really pleased that we’ve come away with the three points after keeping a clean sheet. Of course, it would have been ideal to have scored a second goal, but I said to the boys afterwards that we have got to learn to graft our way to some wins at this level because we haven’t done that this season. We’ve tended to either win comfortably or else get well beaten, so I’m going to take quite a lot of satisfaction out of today’s narrow win.

King was also pleased that his decision to include Oni in the Hoops’ starting line-up was rewarded with a “Man of the Match” performance by the nippy winger who has often had to settle for a place on the bench this season.

But Oni needed only eight minutes to make his mark on this game, making the most of some poor defending by an East Grinstead side who had lost their previous five matches and slipped to 17th place in the table. 

Nicknamed the Wasps, the Sussex visitors didn’t offer much of a sting footballing-wise anywhere after that, but Drew Cooney’s team certainly couldn’t be accused of being afraid to get involved in the physical stuff. With the Deal players determined to stand their ground, the contest gradually developed into a scrappy “slugging match”, with frequent injury stoppages and referee Dave Rowland showing several yellow cards.  

But all the while the Hoops managed to hold on to their slender lead in front of another encouraging Charles Ground crowd of over 500 as “Kingy and Co.” start to look ahead to season No.2 in the Isthmian League.  

FULL TIME: DTFC 1 - 0 EGTFC  

The Deal team was: Adam Molloy, Zak Hammond, Jack Penny (Alfie Foster 76), Morgan Page, Tom Chapman (Wes Hennessey 66), Macca Murray (Kane Smith 89), Ben Chapman, Jack Paxman, Ife Oni (Owen Wilkinson 86), Ash Miller (Archie Hatcher 74), Josh Vincent. 

The Perrys (Dover, Ford) MOTM was selected as Ife Oni.

Deal Town Starting XI: Adam Molloy, Zak Hammond, Jack Penny, Morgan Page, Tom Chapman, Macaulay Murray, Ben Chapman, Jack Paxman, Ife Oni, Ashley Miller, Josh Vincent.

Subs: Alfie Foster, Kane Smith, Wes Hennessey, Archie Hatcher, Owen Wilkinson.

Deal Goals: Ife Oni ('9)

Referee: Rowland

Attendance: 583