Corinthian vs Deal Town

Recap

Corinthian continued their charge towards the top of the table by recording their sixth successive victory over the Hoops.
The Longfield club are now just three points behind leaders Beckenham after notching the 16th win in their last 17 matches, but this latest victory was aided by the award of a dubious penalty for handball just before half-time against a Deal side who made the title challengers work hard for their latest three points.
Manager Derek Hares said: “It was a good performance by the boys and we deserved to get something from the game. We had the better chances and their penalty was a very harsh decision. Then, when we were pushing forward in search of an equaliser, they scored their second goal with the last kick of the match.”
Right from the start the Hoops produced some of their best football of recent weeks but couldn’t find a“finishing touch” in front of goal and they then fell behind a minute before half-time when the referee awarded a penalty for handball against Harry Alexander. The Deal players claimed that the ball had hit Alexander’s chest but to no avail, and Luke Tanner duly despatched the spot kick.
The Hoops continued to give as good as they got in the second half but even the introduction of three attacking substitutes in the shape of Connor Coyne, Troy Howard and Ryan Lewis failed to produce a breach in the Corinthian defence, and the home side then sealed their latest victory with a breakaway goal by Dereece Thompson deep into injury-time.
Deal: Tonkin, Hark, Penny, Scott, Maughan, Munday, Reeves (Howard), Murray (Lewis), Chapman, Walsh (Coyne), Alexander.