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Deal jump over nine-man Lords

FOUR goals were scored in a frantic opening sixteen minutes, but it was Deal Town who came out of the game with three points, defeating nine-man Lordswood in a thrilling game at North Dane Way to climb above them in the Go Travel Kent League table.

The first of the goals came as early as the fourth minute.  Lordswood defender Ashley Russell fouled Nathan Mitford inside the area and up stepped Deal skipper David Bathgate to smash the resulting penalty straight down the middle of Jake Slade's net.

Lordswood, however, responded quickly and were on level terms within a minute. Slade's free kick up field was flicked on by Sean Hetterley and Andy Doerr nipped in between the defenders and hooked the ball past Jason Hughes.

Paul Piggott's side took the lead in the eighth minute when Scott Bucklen's cross from the left found Hetterley who rose above the defence but Hughes palmed the header straight to Doerr and he smashed the ball into the net from three yards.

Lordswood were reduced to ten men as early as the 11th minute when Jon Gissing won a free kick on the half way line and stamped on the Deal player and was sent off.

Playing against ten-men, Deal equalised in the 16th minute when a corner to the back post found Nathan Mitford who from one yard out stabbed home.

Referee Michael Rogers wanted to be the centre of attention when he blew for a foul against former Bly Spartans Lordswood midfielder Paul Brown.  After issuing him a stern lecture, and ignoring the pleas from both sets of players to keep him on the pitch, a red card was issued for his second bookable offence.

With six minutes before the break, disaster almost struck the home side when Nick Berkhauer lost possession outside the area but Danny Smith saw his 20-yard shot pushed around the post by Slade.

Lordswood, however, took an unexpected lead on the stroke of half time when Hetterley went on a mazy run into the area and was tackled it appeared that a Deal player handled the ball and a penalty was awarded.

Up stepped Gary Peck who stroked the ball into the bottom left hand corner.

The lead, however, was to last three minutes as the ball was crossed into the penalty area and Slade did well to save Lee Bosson's shot but it fell at Smith's feet to score from 12 yards.

Suddenly the flow of the game changed as the nine-men of Lordswood took the game to their visitors and although they did not trouble their goalkeeper they were the better side.

The longer the game went on tiredness crept into the home side and in the 78th minute Slade came to the rescue when James Marriott, on the edge of the penalty area, collected the clearance and his shot was brilliantly pushed onto the bar.

A free kick into the area saw Jorden Barnett's header go just past the post but with only six minutes to go a debatable free kick was given 25-yards out and Bathgate curled it around the wall leaving Slade stranded.