The Hoops will be looking to produce a repeat of their battling performance in the FA Cup at Whitstable Town last season when they make a return visit to The Belmont for a Southern Counties East League game on Tuesday (1pm kick off).
In September 2015, when the Oystermen were still in Ryman League Division 1 South, the sides were drawn together in the FA Cup first qualifying round and a goal from Charlie Walsh earned Deal a 1-1 draw at The Belmont. Then, three days later, Charlie Dickens and Ryan Philpott were on target in the Hoops’ 2-0 replay victory.
That FA Cup exit to a club from a lower league signposted what was to be a season of struggle for Whitstable which ended with their relegation to the SCEL.
Now under the managership of former Hythe Town boss Scott Porter, Whitstable currently stand eighth in the Premier Division and are the only team in the league yet to draw a game this season having played 19, won 10 and lost 9. One of those victories came at the Charles Ground in August when two second half goals from Aaron Quain earned the Oystermen all three points.
Whitstable’s line-up for that game included former Deal player Scott Punton and “Punts” also came on as a late substitute in Whitstable’s 4-3 victory at Rochester United in their last match before Christmas.
Porter has recently strengthened his squad with the acquisition of versatile defender Tom Bryant from Tunbridge Wells and Hoops manager Derek Hares said: “It’s a Kent derby game and we want to go there and play well – and we’ll have to because Whitstable are a decent side as they showed when they beat us at the Charles Ground early in the season.”
The bad news for Deal is that, because their last game at Bearsted was abandoned due to fog, skipper Dean Hill must serve his one-match suspension in Tuesday’s match, but fellow defender Grant Bagley returns to the squad having been unavailable for the Bearsted fixture.
