Deal Town 1-0 Erith Town - One of our objectives at the start of the season was to reach a cup final so we've ticked that box, now it goes without saying, we want to add silverware, says proud Deal Town boss Steve King

Deal Town 1 – 0 Erith Town
Location	The Charles Sports Ground, St Leonards Road, Deal, Kent CT14 9AU
Kickoff	11/02/2023 15:00

DEAL TOWN  1-0  ERITH TOWN
DFDS Kent Senior Trophy Semi-Final
Saturday 11 February 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from The Charles Sports Ground

DEAL TOWN manager Steve King says reaching the Kent Senior Trophy Final for the first time in 23 years is a very proud moment for the club.

Both of today’s Semi-Finals were settled by a single goal, as Ashley Probets’ free-kick ensured Punjab United produced a shock victory over runaway league leaders Erith & Belvedere to reach their first Final, while Riley Alford poked in his eleventh game of the season to send Deal Town through to the Maidstone Final on Sunday 16 April.

This was Deal Town’s fourth home tie in the competition, having beaten K Sports (5-1), Glebe (4-2 after extra time) and First Division big-hitters Snodland Town 5-1, before progressing through to the Final after Riley finished off a swift three-man move.

The Dockers, meanwhile, defeated a couple of First Division sides in the shape of Meridian VP (7-0) and Lewisham Borough (3-0) and beat Stansfeld (3-2) in the Quarter-Finals and put in a disappointing performance on the Kent coast today.

Erith Town went into this game on a seven match unbeaten run and in third-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table, having collected 41 points from their 20 games and are one of many clubs vying for the play-off place, with Erith & Belvedere 21 points clear of second-placed side Rusthall going into today’s fixtures.

Deal Town were in sixth-place in the pecking order with 38 points from their 22 games and since their 1-0 defeat at Corsham Town in The FA Vase Fifth Round, have remained unbeaten against Canterbury City (1-0), Stansfeld (0-0) and K Sports (2-1).

“We’ve been pretty vocal about these competitions being a target for us so to have reached the final, in a really tough game today against a good side, absolutely delighted,” said King.

“A lot of hard work has gone into it over the last five, six, seven, eight years, so it's a nice bit of recognition to reach the first final for over 20 years.

“The support we’ve had has been outstanding. Another brilliant crowd (604) today and they got behind the boys and backed us and gave us the extra push and we’ve given them a cup final to look forward to as well.

“I thought we played well during the game. I thought we probably created more chances across the 90 minutes against a side, I think have only lost a couple away from home all season, once at Three Bridges in The FA Cup and once in the league.

“Erith Town are a real, real tough side and I thought we played well. We created good chances to score in the first half and didn’t take them and then after the goal I just thought you could see what it meant to the players to win the game today. We just defended for our lives, put everything in, 100% effort and worked really hard and I’m really proud of them today.

“It’s not quite sunk in yet but I think it’s a very proud moment because of how far we’ve come.  I put some pictures in the boys WhatsApp group last night of a picture of my first game when I came in with Paul Murray in 2015 and there was about 60 people here and no stands behind the goal.

“Massive credit to Dean Hill, Kieron Hollier, Daniel Levey, Dave Briggs because they do a massive job but it’s been a club effort. You’ve seen how we’ve grown over a period of time so for me it’s not me personally, I’m ambitious for this football club but it’s more pride what everybody at the club has done.

“To see over 600 people here and to reach a cup final, it’s pride for everybody really and we’ll celebrate tonight, we’re a close bunch, so we’ll enjoy it tonight and we’ll get our heads back on for Rusthall on Wednesday.”

Erith Town boss Adam Woodward admitted: “It was one game too far for us.  I think we’ve been struggling in the last four or five, injury wise and we looked really leggy again today.  We huffed and puffed but I don’t think we done enough to win the game.

“We’ve been given a game every three days from now and the end of the season. You can’t run with 16 players on that. It’s near on impossible so we’re using the whole squad as much as we can and the boys that came in, done well,” added Woodward, when asked about his four changes to the side that beat Sutton Athletic 2-1 on Wednesday night.

“Listen, I think we lacked that, little bit of, maybe, cutting edge, creativity but it’s a tough place to come here away and where we’ve done the best we can, I won’t knock the boys. We just lacked a little bit of creativity.”

Woodward revealed that he was missing Harry Taylor (groin), Ryan Mahal, Adem Ramadan, Alfie Eldridge, Tola Odedoyin and Malik Nosike.

With both sides lining up with three central defenders, it was Erith Town whom created the first opening of the game after only 184 seconds but striker Luke Tanner’s right-footed shot on the turn from 30-yards screamed past the far post of James Tonkin, whom had replaced Henry Newcombe, who was serving a one-match ban following his sending off for handball against Canterbury City.

On Tanner, Woodward said: “He’s good since he’s come on board. He’s big and strong and he holds the ball up and we needed that after losing Harry Taylor to injury, so look it was a bit unlucky for him.  Harry won’t be out for long.

“The list is going on and on and on and on and we’ve got players out there that are playing half-fit as well but it is what it is at the moment. We’ve got to get on with it.”

King added: “Harry was suspended.  Tonks, as a lot of people know, changed jobs in the summer, which meant his availability was limited but thankfully he was available today. He’s been playing regularly for the reserves (Kent County League Division Two Central & East).

“There was no worries today with him coming into the side. He’s played over 200 games for the club and I thought he didn’t have massive amounts to do today but what he had to do, he did very well.”

Deal Town created their first opening inside the opening eight minutes when Ben Chapman played the ball out wide to brother Tom and his low cross was met at the near post by a sliding Aaron Millbank but Dockers’ Tom Ash (who plays in the heart of their three-man defence) made a block.

Jack Penny swung in the resulting corner from the right and centre-half Kane Smith rose to plant his header harmlessly wide.

Deal Town went close to taking the lead in the 15^th minute when Murray’s through ball on the deck released Tom Chapman, who easily cut inside Jerome Jayaguru before drilling a left-footed drive just past the right-hand post from 22-yards.

Erith Town goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley produced an excellent save to thwart the home side, following a well-worked move.

Murray switched the play to Alford on the left and the attacker cracked a right-footed drive screaming towards the top left-hand corner from 16-yards, only for Foley to dive full-length high to his right to push the ball around the post with a strong right-hand.

King said: “I thought it was a brilliant bit of football in the lead up. We made seven or eight passes, got Riley in. It was a great strike.  Their keeper is decent. Their defensive record has been good all season (conceding 23 league goals) and you could see why. They don’t give much away. The keeper’s good and that was a great save.”

Woodward, a former goalkeeper himself, added: “Mackenzie has been playing well at the moment, he’s been doing some good stuff and I thought he’s played really well today.”

King revealed the reasons behind the departure of holding midfielder Murray shortly afterwards.

“We just took a big risk. He did his thigh (two weeks ago) at Corsham. He probably wasn’t ready but because of the magnitude of the game he got through a couple of fitness tests this week but you can never replicate a game. 

“That was a risk that we took and unfortunately that will set him back a little bit but he’s such an important player for us that we made a decision to risk putting him in. It back-fired in a way but I thought he started the game well and then Jack Hanson came on and did really well in his place so that decision has not cost us.”

Erith Town almost grabbed the lead, hitting the home side on the counter-attack in the 20^th minute.

Hayden Bullas – who played behind the front two of Tanner and Steadman Callender – broke and fed Callender down the middle, who fed left-wing-back Joe Chalker through on goal and after cutting on to his right-foot his shot from 18-yards was destined to nestle inside the bottom far corner, only for Tokin to dive to his left to tip the shot around the post.

“I thought Hayden done really well today, not bad for a 16-year-old kid,” said Woodward.

“I watched him in the week play for Ebbsfleet against Dartford and he was really good in that game and I thought he done well for the time had was on the pitch today. It was a good counter-attack. It was unlucky, a good save.”

King added: “They countered us twice on set-pieces in the first half. They were quick on the counter. They had a couple of younger lads come in today and they gave them a lot of energy and we had to defend that counter well and it was a save I expect Tonks to make and he did.”

Both of these promotion chasing sides then cancelled each other out, with Aaron Jeffery, usually a striker, sitting in front of the Dockers’ defence, while Billy Munday offered his usual protection to the Deal Town backline.

Foley made a comfortable low save to deny Deal Town the lead on the half-hour mark.

Alford played a 20-yard pass along the deck to striker Millbank, who tried to shift the ball past Ash, who won the foot race and rolled the ball back to Foley.

The goalkeeper sliced his clearance and made up for it as he held the ball low to his right as the impressive Tom Chapman hit a low right-footed drive after getting the better of Jayaguru, who plays on the left of their three central defenders.

Deal Town controlled the remainder of the half and Kane Smith was a threat in the Dockers’ penalty area in the air at set-pieces.

Jack Penny floated a free-kick from just inside the Dockers’ half and Smith came up from the back to glance his header past the left-hand post.

Foley kept his team-mates in the game as he made another save to frustrate Deal Town with 46:35 on the clock, following another set-piece.

The kick was taken by Tonkin, some 40-yards from his goal down the right-flank and the floated delivery was flicked on by a rising Alford at the far post and fell kindly for Millbank, who took a touch on the edge of the six-yard box but Foley rushed off his line and smothered the shot to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom near corner.

“I thought the keeper did really well there,” said King.

“As soon as he’s shot the keeper’s got there and made himself big. I thought Aaron worked his socks off. He’s searching for a goal at the minute but he’s offering us so much without necessarily getting the goals. It would’ve been nice for him to get one there but you’ve got to credit the keeper, he’s made two really good saves in the first half.”

There was still time for Penny to swing in the home side’s fifth corner of the game (both sides won six-a-piece) and Munday rose and steered his deflected header over the crossbar from just underneath the crossbar.

Both managers were asked their feelings at the interval.

King said: “I told them to keep going! If you look at Erith’s results all season, all the games are tight. You don’t see many 4-3’s or 3-2’s, a lot of them are 1-0 or 2-1.  I went to watch them and they beat Sutton 2-1 on Wednesday night and this game was going as we expected.

“We said if we can create more chances in the second half and we can put one away, which we ended up doing.  We were happy at half-time.”

Woodward added: “We’ve rode our luck a little bit but we’ve just got to keep going and if we get a chance, we could nick one.”

Deal Town created their first chance of the second half after only 39 seconds.

Ben Chapman’s first-time pass released Tom Chapman down the right and he cut inside his marker and unleashed a right-footed stinging drive towards goal from 18-yards.  Like a hot potato, Foley dropped the ball but gathered at his near post at the second attempt.

Woodward added: “I thought we came out at pace to start off with but they came out and hit us a little bit quickly on the attack.”

Deal Town sealed a deserved victory by scoring the only goal of the game with seven minutes and 19 seconds on the clock.

Erith Town turned over possession on the halfway line and the ball was worked to Millbank, whose fine ball down the line released Tom Chapman down the right and he put it on a plate for Alford, who found space at the near post to poke the ball and beat Foley at his near post from three-yards.

“Great link-up play, a great weighted pass by Millbank, which meant Tom could cross it first time and it was a great delivery,” said King, who brought his matchwinner in from Isthmian League South East Division side Hythe Town in the summer, having scored 10 goals for them last season.

“Riley got across near post and got a toe on it and it was a proper poaches goal. He’s scored three or four of them in the last month for us in and around the six-yard box and that’s why we brought him in to do and he absolutely worked his socks off all afternoon for us.”

Woodward added: “I think there were two or three phases before that. We didn’t deal with the ball. We didn’t keep possession and then we haven’t dealt with the one, we haven’t dealt with it wide and the ball’s come into the box and they scored.

“We’ve just got to make sure that we’re switched on for things like that. It was a mistake from our part.  I don’t think really they carved us open there. We’ve made a mistake and not dealt with the phases like they were told at half-time.”

Erith Town offered very little in attack but they should have equalised in the 58^th minute.

Bullas found Callender with a 20-yard pass within the final third but the talisman striker cut the ball onto his left-foot and drilled his shot just past the right-hand post from 22-yards, with Tonkin rooted to the spot.

“They’re the ones where you need a little deflection to go in and things like that and it just wasn’t our day today. Sometimes you just have to hold your hand up,” added Woodward.

“Listen, Steadman’s going to have days where he’s quiet.  We’ve won 1-0 the other day at Lordswood, Steadman Callender goal. We won 1-0 away at Holmesdale, Steadman Callender goal and he scored again in the week, so listen he can have off days and what I will say about Steadman, I don’t think we created anything for him today, or Luke Tanner.”

King said: “He’s decent Steadman, he’s scored lots of goals over the years and I’ve known him as a kid, he played some County football and he’s a real dangerous player but I thought we defended well against him.

“It was another clean-sheet.  I thought Tonks has come in and the back four and everything in front of them done really well.

“We’re a little bit disappointed where we are in the league this season because we haven’t kept enough clean sheets but we’ve kept three in the last four games so that’s a good sign for us moving forward.”

Deal Town were also profligate when they had an excellent chance to sow the game up just 87 seconds later.

Substitute central midfielder Jack Hanson split open the Dockers’ defence with a through ball straight down the heart of the pitch to put Millbank through on goal and after beating Daniel Carrington (a recent acquisition following his shock release from Faversham Town) for pace, the striker’s right-footed shot was held well by Foley, low to his left to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom right-hand corner on a one-v-one.

“That would’ve been a nice one at that point at 2-0 but Aaron made a good run and the keeper’s done well, so it was good link-up from the front boys,” added King.

Munday volleyed the ball clear from the edge of the Deal Town box and released Alford charging down the left and after cutting inside he curled a right-footed shot around the top of the far post from the corner of the Erith Town box on the counter-attack.

Penny’s free-kick from the half-way line was intended for Smith on the corner of the Dockers’ box but it was Munday to knocked the ball on. Centre-half  Alex Green (who is on loan from Dover Athletic) laid the ball off for Tom Chapman, who swept his first-time shot harmlessly wide from 18-yards.

Woodward made a double change with James Trueman (left-wing-back) and Ladic Melconian (central midfield) coming on but the away side failed to have a go and put in a lacklustre attacking performance, despite sometimes playing with a 4-2-4 formation.

The home side failed to press Jason Goodchild, who had a chance to put a ball in from the right flank, and Tonkin allowed the ball to slip through both of his outstretched fingers and was relieved to see the ball drop over his crossbar for the away side’s fourth corner inside the final 15 minutes.

“Listen, we went to try to attack them the best we can and we did. It was just unfortunate, it’s just one of those days, I think where we didn’t really get the rub of the green with certain things,” added Woodward.

Defender Lewis Stevens-Toomey clipped a long ball to release Tom Chapman down the right channel and he cut inside and his left-footed shot from 18-yards was comfortably held by Foley, who was a good shot-stopper but could work on his kicking.

Trueman hit a left-footed deflected drive from 30-yards, which was comfortably gathered by Tonkin, following a scrappy passage of play and Woodward threw Jeffery up top in his more natural position for the last few minutes and their final chance came 34 seconds into stoppage time but Jayaguru’s left-footed drive from 35-yards was sliced horribly wide of the target as Deal Town ran out deserved winners.

King said: “I think you have to be realistic when you’re playing a side that have got their record this season and are doing well and keep going to the end.   You have to understand in football once chance can go in and we were not expecting it to happen at all but we did have it in our planning by holding the subs back.  We knew if it went for another 30 minutes, we had fresh legs to bring on.

“You have to respect sides like this.  They’ve had a brilliant season. I respect Woody and respect everything that they’ve done. They’ve probably followed a similar trajectory to us over the last five years in terms of building, kept the core of players, really hard to beat and they’ve had a great season, so that was a big result for us today.”

Woodward revealed he suffering a “horrible” feeling losing in the Semi-Finals.

“Look, we’ve lost to Deal Town, yes maybe they slightly edged it but in these Semi-Finals, you need that little bit of luck.

“We went out in the FA Vase on penalties (0-0 draw at Bridgwater United) and I thought we made a good account of ourselves here today but yes, it’s not nice. It’s not nice losing a Semi-Final.  Finals are not too bad because of the occasion. It would’ve been nice to get the club into a Final but we’ve got 18 cup finals now to try to get promotion.”

King knows there’s a promotion race ahead of their showpiece final against Chipie Sian’s Punjab United.

“We’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be a massive day for the club.  It’s the first final for 23 years.  Punjab came down here, a real good side, invested a lot since Christmas in their playing side. Any side that beat Erith & Belvedere are decent.  Maybe people will look at it and make us slight favourites, where if it was Erith & Belvedere, it would’ve been the other way round.

“We’ll concentrate on the 14 league games before the final and we’ll prep for that closer to the time but one of our objectives at the start of the season was to reach a cup final so we’ve ticked that box.  Now, obviously, it goes without saying, we want to add silverware but that will be the same whoever we were playing.”

Both sides return to league action on Wednesday night with King taking his side to second-placed Rusthall, while Erith Town have home advantage over 12^th placed Hollands & Blair.

Rusthall were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Sutton Athletic today, while Hollands & Blair came away from Fisher with a point in a four-goal game.

Erith & Belvedere (63 points), Rusthall (43 points from 24 games), Phoenix Sports (41 points from 21 games), Erith Town, Whitstable Town (39 points from 26 games), Glebe (39 points from 25 games) and Deal Town make up the top seven tonight.

“That will be tough.  We were very lucky down there. Scott Porter’s got them well-drilled, well-organised. He’s got some very good players and it will be nice to see those lads as well. That’s a tough one. It’s not one you want coming after a defeat. We’ve just got to bounce back as best we can,” said Woodward.

“It’s a really open league this year. There’s five or six teams that are in for it so we’ve just got to have tunnel vision and make sure we do our stuff and keep going and try to get us as high as we can.

“As a club we’ve got to keep improving year-after-year and as long as there’s improvement it’s good to see.  We finished seventh last year, if we improve on that this year, it’s another move forward.

“Let’s be brutely honest, I’m not going to sit here and say I’m happy to finish sixth or seventh. Yes, we are going for promotion. There’s no shame in saying that you’ve got to be in it to win it. 

“At the start of the season we were going for promotion. All 20 teams in the league wants to go for promotion.  You’ve just got to see whose up there now.  Rusthall were in a relegation battle last year. Jimmy Anderson’s done really well and he’s turned it around down there and they’re going for promotion.  Phoenix, Deal Town, Whitstable.

“Listen, we’ve got the games in hand but the thing is I’d rather have the points on the board so we’ve got to get the games in hand played and we’ve got to try to get results.  Hopefully in the next two or three weeks we can get six or seven players back and we can go from there.”

King’s men now have to concentrate on the league, starting with their trip to Jockey Farm.

“We’ll go away to Rusthall on Wednesday night so we’ll probably have to go there and win and stay in and round it realistically but we’ll keep going and keep fighting,” said King.

“Their home record has been outstanding. What a job Jimmy’s done there.  They only just stayed up by the skin of their teeth last year and he’s added a few, not loads, fair play to him.

“We’ll go again on Wednesday, we’ll be ready to go, we’ll be buoyed from today and we’ll go and try to win a game of football and that’s all we can do at this point.

“We don’t have to get promotion. We’re not in that boat where we’ve built the football club and we’ll continue to build it.

“We’re still in it.  I think we’re behind the eight ball a little bit.  Phoenix won today, I think Phoenix alongside Erith Town are the two favourites (for second) because they’ve got games in hand and also they’re in good form.

“We’re still in and about it though. We’ve still got to play Erith Town twice, we’ve still got to play Phoenix at home so we’ve got opportunities to take points. We’re probably going to have to go on a very, very good run of form but we’re not going to discount that.”

Deal Town: James Tonkin, Lewis Stevens-Toomey, Jack Penny, Billy Munday, Kane Smith, Alex Green, Riley Alford (Alfie Foster 90), Macauley Murray (Jack Hanson 19), Aaron Millbank, Ben Chapman, Tom Chapman.
Subs: Sam Taylor, Connor Coyne, Kieron Hollier

Goal: Riley Alford 53

Booked: Jack Hanson 65

Erith Town: Mackenzie Foley, Ronnie McClean (James Trueman 67), Joe Chalker, Tom Ash, Jerome Jayaguru, Daniel Carrington, Jason Goodchild, Aaron Jeffery, Steadman Callender, Luke Tanner (Daniel Lopes 81), Hayden Bullas (Ladic Melconian 68).
Subs: Charlie Clover, James Miles

Booked: Aaron Jeffery 50

Attendance: 604
Referee: Mr Samuel Hall
Assistants: Mr Daniel Roberts & Mr Mitchell Jukes
Fourth Official:  Mr Chris Cannon