Slade Green 1 Deal Town 2

Tuesday 11th April 2006

With six first team players missing on Saturday for various reasons, Slade Green boss Terry Malin was again forced to call upon the reserves in order to field a team, writes Barry Feist.

Making his debut was reserve keeper Sam Mills, and he came in for a scare as early as the first minute.

Mark Pollard breached the Green defence and under immense pressure from Lee Morgan sent his shot narrowly wide of Mills' far post.

Green rallied and began to push forward down the flanks with John Gallagher on the left and the impressive debutant Richie Stunt on the right.

On 7 minutes Scott Lewis to a hefty knock but referee Daniel Wyatt was reluctant to show a card to the guilty Pollard.

Five minutes later Scott Mulholland's shot from the edge of the Deal area found it's way through a wall of bodies but ended up just inches wide of visiting keeper Rob Lindley's near post.

On 17 minutes John Gallagher received treatment after taking the ball full-on in the face and, from the restart 3 minutes later, Green were caught slacking as Pollard crossed into the box from the right. Sam Mills failed to come and collect the cross and the visitors Lee Minshull, on loan from Ramsgate, headed home the opening goal from six yards.

Deal then started to take control of the game and when Green did go forward they found the presence of Minshull and Josh Davidson too strong for them.

Although an opportunity did fall to the home side in injury time at the end of the first half.

Stunt found himself well placed on the edge of the box but was unable to control the ball and Lindley reacted quickest to clear the danger.

Deal carried on pressurising The Green for the first ten minutes of the second half, which saw several effort's go begging.

Straight from the kick-off Jamie Marriott's 25 yarder curled over Mills' bar and four minutes later Minshull fired just wide from the edge of the box.

On 52 minutes Paul McCarthy was booked for a challenge on Ollie Finch and from the resulting free kick Aaron Robinson fired wide.

The game then went a bit flat and became a bit sloppy. Ref Wyatt eventually had to produce his yellow card on 67 minutes when arriott was booked for a challenge on Scott Mulholland.

Then six minutes later Green grabbed an equaliser. Josh Davidson followed Marriott into the book with his late challenge on John Gallagher, and from Sabatino's superbly placed free-kick Paul McCarthy bundled the ball home.

Two minutes later Green should have taken the lead when Lindley dropped the ball following a corner, but Gallagher only succeeded in firing his shot back into the grateful arms of the visiting keeper.

Deal substitute Louis Smith scored the winner with 11 minutes remaining when he left Mills with no chance as he fired into the goal form 18 yards.

Slade Green: Mills, Lewis, Sabatino (Stoddart), T Morgan, L Morgan (Pitcher), Barber, Stunt, McCarthy, Taylor (Mace), Mulholland, J Gallagher