HOOPS BIGGEST VISTORY IN 7 YEARS

Deal Town 7 Erith Town 0

The Hoops powered to their biggest victory for seven years as they notched up their fifth successive win on Saturday.

On a heavy Charles Ground ground pitch which had survived a morning pitch inspection, Derek Hares’ side matched the 7-0 win they had recorded against Sporting Bengal in February 2009.

But, with due respect to Bengal who were bottom of the league at the time, this latest seven-goal romp carried considerably more merit against an Erith side lying seventh in the table and who had been as high as second less than three months ago.

However, after an evenly-contested opening period, it gradually became all downhill for Martin Ford’s side.  First, they suffered the loss of Jason Mensah with a shoulder injury and then, following a series of Deal corners, Luke Bigginton gave the Hoops the lead from close range with 25 minutes gone.

Andy Miller and Dean Hill then both went close before Charlie Walsh curled home a 20-yard free-kick five minutes before the break, and within a minute of the restart it was virtually “game over” when Connor Coyne blasted a volley high into the Dockers’ net following a long throw.

Hares then brought on Jack Tanner in place of Steve Baines, who had produced a solid debut in midfield following his transfer from Canterbury City, and soon after Miller made it 4-0 following the Hoops’ best move of the game involving Coyne and Rene Rivera.

And the remainder of the game belonged to Rivera, with the former Kent Schools Under-18 striker helping himself to a 25-minute hat-trick, including an injury-time penalty after he had been brought down in the box – just five minutes after Deal keeper Henry Newcombe had saved substitute Damien Ramsamy’s spot kick at the other end to round off a perfect day for the Hoops.

Deal Town: Newcombe, Hark, A Coyne, Scott, Hill, Bigginton (Ashman 75mins), Miller (59mins), Baines (Tanner  53mins), Walsh, C Coyne, Rivera.