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Electrifying Green set up mouth-watering derby

Slade Green set up a mouth-watering Kent League Cup Quarter Final showdown with arch rivals Thamesmead Town after cruising to a comfortable victory at the Deal Electrical Stadium. 

Green dominated from start to finish and during the opening eight minutes Deal were thankful to keeper Jason Hughes who parried a Shaun Malyon effort, blocked Dave Martin’s header and then tipped Ryan Hayes strike over the bar. 

The ever threatening goal arrived in the 14th minute.  Mark Sabatino’s powerful header picked out Malyon who in turn played in Hayes and although his shot was saved Malyon was on hand to efficiently slot home the loose ball. 

The lead was doubled on the 29 minute mark, Dave Martin dinked his way between two players and having cut in from the left laid the ball on for Dean Kearley to drill the ball home. 

Moments later Kearley could so easily have pounced again but skewed his effort wide after the keeper had flapped at Dave Martin’s free kick. 

However, by the 32nd minute Kearley did strike again having connected with Ryan Hayes deft pass, Kearley neatly pulled the ball down before dispatching an exquisite shot towards the top right corner of the net. 

Within two minutes with their first notable attack Deal reduced the deficit as Jordon Barnett converted David Bathgate’s centred ball.

For the first time this season Green included flying wingers Dave Martin and Ryan Hayes in the same starting line up and the duo combined well on the hour mark as Martin’s cross found Hayes who should have done better than fire wide of an open goal.

However, Hayes quickly made amends when he did find the net when on 69 minutes he coolly placed the ball beyond the keeper’s reach after Martin had escaped the clutches of his marker down the left flank and played in an inch perfect squared ball. 

Having been introduced as a second half substitute for the injured Scott Lewis, Dean Bowey could so easily have added a fifth goal when he latched onto Ryan Hayes pass but he sent the ball veering across the face of the goal and then having run onto Wayne Barrett’s hoisted ball, Bowey cleverly headed it over his marker only to guide the ball the wrong side of the post.

In between these opportunities for Bowey the home side did pull a second goal back with a thunderbolt strike from Danny Smith but despite this Green should have added to their tally with Hayes, Danny Little and Bowey all guiding efforts just off target.

Slade Green:  Vines, Lewis (Bowey), Sabatino, Gallagher, Kearley, Barber, Martin, Barrett (Abbott), Malyon, Little, Hayes.  Other subs: Heywood, Corrigan