We know we can compete, we know that we can give everyone a game but we know that we have to be more consistent and we have to cut out mistakes, says Deal Town boss Steven King

DEAL TOWN manager Steven King says he’s feeling proud of the progress that the club is currently making under his watch.

 

The club attracted their largest League crowd for 73 years when Ramsgate came away from The Charles Sports Ground with a 4-2 win on Bank Holiday Monday.

Kick-off was delayed for 16 minutes to get the 1,935 crowd through the turnstiles and King spoke for nearly 24 minutes in the post-match press conference.

“It’s probably one of the things that makes me proud is that we’ve got the club into a situation where we’re playing in these games,” said King.

“To get nearly 2,000 for a League game, you can have big Vase Semi-Finals (in 2000 under Tommy Sampson) and stuff like that. To get 2,000 for a League game and to go and put on a real good show, I’m sure our fans will be a little bit disappointed but I’m sure they understand the levels and what we’re up against.

“We haven’t rolled over and been beaten, we’ve given it a real good go and from where the club has come from, eight, nine, 10 years ago, just to be playing in these games, it’s a big achievement.

“But what we want to do now is learn from it, try to get better and try to establish ourselves at this level and that’s our next challenge.”

Deal Town are a self-funded club, without any backers that pump in the cash, so crowds such as the one on Monday will certainly go a long way.

“Look, it helps us grow as a club.  Everyone knows, I don’t like talking about it, but everybody knows that we’re a self-financed club.  We haven’t got anyone pumping in lots of money,” added King.

“We’re competing against sides that have got people pumping in money and it gives us an opportunity to try to compete across a season.

“If we can keep the crowds healthy in our non-Kent games and then we have these bumper ones as well, it’s going to help us move forward and try to strengthen the squad because it’s not easy to get the quality of player we need with the finances.

“We’re competing for the same players so crowds like (the Ramsgate one) will help with that.

“I hope a lot of people will come back for the next derby (against Ashford United on Saturday 7 September, for our first FA Trophy tie) and know they’re going to see a good game of football.”

King was without defenders Jack Penny, Josh Vincent, Kane Smith and Ifeoluwi Oni with ‘muscle injuries to the lower body’, against Ben Smith’s big-hitters.

“Kane’s probably the longest of the three. He’s had a scan, the other three will all probably have a chance for next weekend,” revealed King.

“We need a bit more depth.  It’s hard for us to bring players in because we try to bring players in for the long-term.  We’re not the sort of club that brings them in and a month later gets rid of somebody, so we try to identify players that fit in to our ethos and our mould.”

“If we do bring them in to the club, they’ll still be around for two, three or four seasons, rather than just come in and fill in.

“We identified quite a few of them in the summer and couldn’t get them in because other club’s in our league were able to offer them more attractive stuff so we have to be a little bit patient.”

The Hoops are in fifth-place in the Isthmian League South East Division (the eighth-tier), having picked up six points from their opening three league outings.

When asked what he is learning about their new level of football, having clinched the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division title last season, King replied: “Honestly, nothing that I didn’t expect so far.  We know we can compete, we know that we can give everyone a game but we know that we have to be more consistent and we have to cut out mistakes and that’s it.

“We made mistakes at both ends, not scoring penalties and we got punished against a good side.

“I went home disappointed but certainly not deflated. I wanted to match them and really give them a game and I thought we did that.  I’m going to take that away as a positive.  We respect Ramsgate, I respect their side but I’m pleased that we competed.”

King takes his side to East Grinstead Town on Saturday, 31 August (15:00).

Drew Cooney’s unbeaten side are in seventh-place in the pecking order, having picked up a win and two draws at this early stage.

The Wasps rose to the summit following their 2-1 home win over newly-promoted side AFC Croydon Athletic last Friday night, but were held to a 2-2 draw away to Sevenoaks Town on Bank Holiday Monday.

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

East Grinstead Town  v  Deal Town
Isthmian League South East Division
Saturday 31 August 2024
Kick Off 3:00pm
at East Court, College Lane, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3LS