The Hoops are back in cup action this Saturday when they take on Oxhey Jets at home in the second round of the FA Vase.
The Hertfordshire club are currently lying in sixth place in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division and Hoops manager Derek Hares says: “We don’t know a great lot about them so we are trying to find out as much information as we can, but looking at their league and their form lately it looks like it will be a tough game.”
The Hoops go into the tie boosted by Tuesday’s 3-2 league win at Lordswood and hopeful that Kane Smith will be fit to return to the central defence after missing the last three matches because of a hamstring injury.
Hares is also hoping that new signing Matty Robinson will be available after he was ruled out of the Lordswood game because of a knee injury.
Hares is hoping that Saturday’s tie will draw another 200+ crowd to the Charles Ground, saying: “We’ve been around the 200 mark for the last few games and hopefully we’ll get the same again on Saturday because there’s always been something special about Deal in the Vase.”
And among the crowd will be a number of ex-Hoops players as former manager Dave Parsons is organising a reunion of the Deal side who won the Kent League Cup in 1982. Parsons said: “The main idea for the reunion is to bring together as many players as possible who were in the side that day.
“But I’m hoping that plenty of other former players will also come along, especially as Saturday’s Vase tie is an important game for the club.”
