Deal Town boss Derek Hares: If we can get a result up there, it’s not going to be easy but it’s not impossible because at the end of the day, we’re at the same level

DEAL TOWN boss Derek Hares says he is expecting a difficult game away to league leaders Kidlington in The FA Vase Second Round tomorrow.

The Oxfordshire outfit sit at the top of the Hellenic Premier League table and are unbeaten in nine league games at Yarnton Road.

Deal Town, meanwhile, sit third-from-bottom in the Southern Counties East Football League table with two wins and two draws from their 12 league outings, level on points at the foot of the table on 8 points alongside Croydon and Holmesdale.

“Well it’s going to be a difficult game because we’ve been up and had them watched,” said Hares on the eve of the game.

“They’re top of their league now, they’ve been on a good run and it will be a real test for us to be honest.”

Deal Town are the only Kent club to win The FA Vase when Tommy Sampson’s side defeated Chippenham Town 1-0 through Roly Graham’s late winner underneath the Twin Towers at Wembley Stadium back in 2000.

League rivals Tunbridge Wells reached the 2013 Final but were defeated by big-spending Northern League outfit Spennymoor Town underneath the Wembley Arch, Josh Stanford scoring the equaliser.

“It’s a long time ago now. It seems to have gone so quickly,” reflected a proud Hares.

“The FA Vase gets everybody’s interest up. We’ve had a decent run so far, hopefully it will continue tomorrow. It will be a difficult game and if we do win, it will be an excellent win.”

Reflecting on their league campaign, Hares said: “Quite strange really. To sum our season up really it’s been a case of we’ve competed well in all games, we’ve created a lot of chances in most games but our downfall we haven’t taken enough of them.”

The club reached The FA Cup Second Qualifying Round earlier on in the season when they lost 2-1 at Vanarama National League South side St Albans City.

Hares said: “It was a good little run. We went to St Albans, it was an excellent game actually and we pushed them very close.”

But clubs that play at Step Five and Step Six of Non-League football have a more realistic chance of a big day out at Wembley Stadium in The FA Vase

“You just really want to get a bit of momentum going,” said Hares on his club’s Wembley chances.

“If we can win this round, I think there’s one more round before Christmas and then it goes National. It will be nice to get to that stage.  We’re not thinking that far ahead.

“We’re concentrating on tomorrow, see if we can get a result up there. It’s not going to be easy but it’s not impossible because at the end of the day, we’re at the same level.

“The Hellenic League, I think, is quite a strong league. We’re certainly going there confident but not over confident because we know their top of their league and it will be a difficult game.”

Former Ramsgate central defender, Dean Hill, misses the game through suspension, Charlie Dickens has been ruled out through a knee ligament strain and Ben Short is a doubt.

Visit Deal Town’s website: www.dealtownfc.co.uk

Kidlington  v  Deal Town
The FA Vase Second Round
Saturday 21^st November 2015
Kick Off 3:00pm
at Yarnton Road, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 1AT