CORINTHIAN V HOOPS PREVIEW

The Hoops kick off their New Year programme on Saturday with an away game against a Corinthian side who have proved one of their most difficult opponents in recent seasons.
The Longfield club have won their last five fixtures with Deal, helped by the fact the Hoops had a player sent off in four of those matches.
The clubs’ most recent meeting was in October when Nick Treadwell was shown a red card in Deal’s 3-1 defeat in a Kent Senior Trophy first-round tie. That victory was one of 15 wins that Corinthian have recorded in their last 16 matches, an impressive run that has lifted them into second place in the table and which indicates the size of the task facing the Hoops this weekend.
Manager Derek Hares said: “Corinthian are always up there and they are a good footballing side, especially at home. We’ve had a few players sent off against them recently and it will be important that we keep our discipline.”
Alfie Foster is suspended after being sent off in last Saturday’s win at Canterbury while Ben Cardwell is rated at 50/50 after aggravating a hamstring injury.