Deal Town FC

MENS FIRST TEAM

Deal Town played Merstham FC on 19th October 2024 in the Isthmian League South East Division. Deal Town won four - three against Merstham in front of a crowd of 544 at the Charles Ground. The Deal goals came from Billy Munday (3) and Ben Chapman.

The 544 spectators who were at the Charles Ground on Saturday was the highest gate of the day in the Isthmian League South East Division - and they certainly couldn't complain about a lack of action. Seven goals, lots of other near misses and a commendable commitment from both sets of players all contributed to an entertaining 90 minutes, which ended with the Hoops bagging the win they needed after having lost their two previous games.

But manager Steve King admitted afterwards the victory should have been achieved in a more comfortable manner, against a Merstham side who were forced to play for over half of the game with 10 men after Olu Lawal was shown a straight red card in the 39th-minute for violent conduct.

The score was 1-1 at the point following a fairly-evenly contested first half, in which the Surrey side showed why they had come into the game in eighth place in the table, two positions above Deal, and their neat counter-attacking football was rewarded with a 23rd-minute Andy Somo equaliser. This following Deal's opener, as Billy Munday had headed the Hoops into a 13th-minute lead, from Jack Paxman's far post cross.

Deal however always looked capable of adding to their goal tally, especially after Lawal's departure, and they did so just before the break when a manic scramble in the visitors' six-yard box ended with Munday heading home from close range. The midfielder's ability in the air has proved valuable to Deal all over the pitch; when he completed his second hat-trick of the season five minutes after the restart with another header, this time from Jack Penny's cross, it seemed like it was "game over".

But the 10-men of Merstham had other ideas. Their powerful centre-half and captain Matt Drage made it 3-2 with a header, from Bradley Wilson's 53rd-minute free-kick, and although Ben Chapman restored Deal's two-goal advantage almost immediately with his fifth goal of the campaign, it was Merstham who had the last word with a superb injury-time strike from substitute Korrey Henry.

So the Hoops had to settle for a slim one-goal margin of victory, and with 'Kingy' admitting:

It's our Achilles heel at the moment, isn't it, we are giving too many goals away. Their second goal was a sloppy set piece and their third goal came from virtually the last kick of the game. 

Merstham are a good team and we've had a tough run of fixtures against experienced Step Four Level sides like Ramsgate, Sittingbourne and Erith. So to be where we are after our opening 10 games, after coming up from Step Five last season, is something  the boys deserve credit for.

 

Yes, of course I would have liked to have won 4-1 rather than 4-3, but the main thing is that we got the three points that we wanted, and the 500-plus spectators have seen seven goals and lots of good football.

 

It was also the return of Alfie Foster, who came on as a second-half substitute following his brief spell away from the club, and the rugged centre-half will hopefully help 'Kingy' to find a cure for some of those current defensive problems. 

The Deal starting line-up was: Molloy, Paxman, Penny, Vincent (Foster 69), Green, Munday, Tom Chapman, Murray (Holness 85), Ben Chapman, Miller Oni 79), Kennedy (Millbank 63). 

SOURCE: Kevin Redsull

The Perrys (Dover, Ford) man of the match, as selcted by Tony Bushell of 'Who's Off', was Billy Munday.

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

Subs: Alfie Foster, Aaron Millbank, Matty Holness, Ife Oni, Morgan Page.

Deal Goals: Billy Munday ('13, '44, '50) Ben Chapman ('54)

Referee: Finnigan

Attendance: 544