The Hoops became the latest team to suffer at the hands of
Sheppey’s free-scoring attack on Saturday.
The Ites took their goal tally to 29 in the last six matches and they would
have exceeded the 30-plus mark but for Deal’s man-of-the-match, goalkeeper
James Tonkin, who produced a string of top-class saves.
But “Tonks” couldn’t prevent Danny Leonard from giving Sheppey the lead with
just 16 minutes gone and Harrison Carnegie then doubled their lead on 38 minutes before Billy Munday raised the Hoops’
spirits with a great strike from outside the box little more than 60 seconds
later.
Ben Chapman also went close as Deal looked
poised to restrict the home side to a one-goal advantage at half-time but Dan
Bradshaw, the league’s leading scorer, had other ideas. A Sheppey
counter-attack ended with Bradshaw bagging his 23rd goal of the campaign just
before the break, and within eight minutes of the restart Bradshaw struck again
to leave the Hoops with a mountain to climb.
They did manage to find the Sheppey net once
more on the hour mark through substitute Josh Maughan, but the Ites always
looked capable of adding to their tally as well and it was Leonard who then
grabbed centre stage with two more goals to complete his hat-trick.
Hoops’ head coach Steve King “tweeted”
afterwards: “Beaten by the better side today, no complaints, onto Wednesday
now.” That’s when Deal travel to play Snodland in the League Challenge Cup and
they can perhaps draw some encouragement from the fact Sheppey put seven past
Snodland in the Kent Senior Trophy last month.
Deal: Tonkin, Reeves, Penny, Scott (Maughan),
Foster (Treadwell), Munday, Chapman, Murray, Coyne, Walsh, Robinson (Hark).
Attendance: 182
Uncategorized
ITS AN AWAY DAY FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF THE FA VASE
BREAKING NEWS We have been drawn AWAY to Bridgwater United FC in the 5th Round of The FA Vase. The tie will be played at 3pm on