Punjab United 6-0 Deal Town - I just owe one massive apology to everybody who travelled - we know we let a lot of people down, says Deal Town manager Steve King

Punjab United 6 – 0 Deal Town
Location	Gallagher Stadium, James Whatman Way, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LQ
Kickoff	16/04/2023 14:15

PUNJAB UNITED  6-0  DEAL TOWN
DFDS Kent Senior Trophy Final
Sunday 16 April 2023
Stephen McCartney reports on Punjab United’s Greatest Ever Day

DEAL TOWN manager Steve King says he will take the criticism and carry the can and also apologised to the clubs supporters and his players after suffering a humiliating defeat to Punjab United.

A record Kent Senior Trophy Final crowd of 1,851 were in Maidstone to witness a scintillating performance from maiden finalists Punjab United, who went into the record books for the highest margin of victory in this showpiece Final.


CHAMPIONS:  Punjab United manager/chairman Chipie Sian kisses the Kent Senior Trophy after his side humiliated their league rivals Deal Town 6-0 in Maidstone.
Photo: Twitter

Fisher beat Deal Town 4-0 back in 1983; Tommy Sampson’s Deal Town class of 2000 beat Chatham Town 5-1; before Beckenham Town claimed a 4-0 win over Ashford United back in 2014.

Punjab United claimed the Kent County League Premier Division title and also beat Borden Village 5-3 to claim the Kent Intermediate Challenge Shield in 2017.

“I don’t know how to sum it up, I’m just lost for words to be honest,” said Punjab United’s manager/chairman Chipie Sian.

“I just said to the boys at the beginning, I’ve done my homework on them. I knew if we get it right, we’ll be alright.

“I didn’t expect that (6-0 scoreline).  I expected to win and sometimes when you get games like this, it could be a one-off. It’s a dream. It’s one of those games that everything we done was right – I thought we were outstanding!”

When asked what motivated his side to pull off the club’s Greatest Ever Day, Sian replied: “We prepped really well on Thursday. We had a great conversation and we went through a little bit of tactics where we could exploit them and their strengths as well. Deal are a good team and they’re on an unbeaten run but I said all these runs come to an end so today was the day we were going to do it!

“Mate, I couldn’t sleep last night. My missus was having a go at me because I kept tossing and turning and getting up.  It was just one of those days. You’re in a final, there’s a big crowd as well. I knew we had 400 fans coming from Gravesend and I wanted to make them proud and honestly, it’s a dream.

“I felt like I was dreaming when we went 4-0 up. I thought ‘oh my god, I can’t believe this’, but we deserved it and I’m proud of everyone who came. I’m proud of the supporters, the players, all of our management teams.

“Jayden Hussain, who I took from the under 23s.  Those managers have been unbelievable. The club is what it is. It’s a beautiful club to be in and we’re a family and that’s how we do it.

“I know we had back-to-back promotions but this is the best.  My family was here, my wife was here, my kids were here to see something like this, is the best feeling.”

Deal Town arrived in Maidstone on an eighteen match unbeaten run since being knocked out by beaten FA Vase semi-finalists Corsham Town 1-0 on the 28 January.

King’s men went into this Final sitting in third-place in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table with 74 points with two games remaining, while Punjab United are in ninth-place with 52 points.

Punjab United defeated Bermondsey Town (9-1); Sporting Club Thamesmead (6-1); Hollands & Blair (3-2, after extra time) and pulled off a shock 1-0 home win over league leaders Erith & Belvedere in the semi-finals.

Deal Town were also handed home ties in the earlier rounds, beating K Sports (5-1); Glebe (4-2, after extra time); Snodland Town (5-1) and beat Erith Town 1-0 in the last four.

Punjab United striker Paul Vines, 39, opened the floodgates with a hooked volley to score his 23^rd goal of the season, before things swiftly went downhill for Deal.

Striker Jayden Hussain, 20, bundled in a second goal, before left-winger William Johnson-Cole lashed in his 17^th goal of the season before fellow winger, Theodore McKenzie stroked in the fourth goal to give Punjab United a commanding lead going into the break.

Hussain scored a second half brace to notch his hat-trick – taking his tally to nine first-team goals since being plucked out from the under 23s.

Deal Town centre-half Alex Green, 19, was sent off in the 64^th minute to compound their misery, having put in a very unlike Deal Town performance.

“Disappointing afternoon, it’s on me, on me.  I take responsibility for it,” said King after emerging from the dressing room to face the media.

“I changed a few things with the way that we wanted to play today. It didn’t work. We went behind in the game, they’ve got a head of steam and played very well, so fair play to them and pretty much everything that went wrong, went wrong.

“It’s on me. We’ve been on a great run. We changed things up today, changed the way we played and in hindsight and with the result, that was the wrong decision from me.

“We’ve had a way of playing. We changed what we’ve been doing a little bit. They pressed us very high.  They obviously got the first goal, which I think in a cup final is crucial.

“We conceded our first goal from a set-piece since August and went 2-0 down in 25 minutes and we’ve then opened up to be expansive to try and chase the game at that point, when maybe we should’ve just had 15-20 minutes at 2-0 but we’ve opened up and tried to get back to 2-1 and get back into it. That’s lead us to conceding another couple of goals.

“I’ve made those decisions and I carry the can on them.”

Pubjab United’s right-back Chris Edwards’ set-pieces are always on the money and they created an opening inside the opening four minutes when his floated free-kick from the edge of the centre circle was met by Lea Dawson, whose towering header was steered past the near post from 10-yards.

However, Punjab United missed a glorious chance to take the lead with five minutes and 29 seconds on the clock.

A big kick from goalkeeper Rilwan Abibaba was flicked on by Johnson-Cole and put Hussain in between Deal’s centre-halves but he lacked composure on the edge of the box and rolled a poor shot into the arms of Henry Newcombe, who comfortably gathered the rolling the ball down on his knees.

“This is where we set up to exploit them with pace, be busy in there and Jayden’s been unbelievable like that.  I think he tried to place it when he should’ve smashed it,” said Sian.

Deal Town then created a couple of chances in what was an open start to the game, with a cracking atmosphere being created by both sets of supporters.

Aaron Millbank’s reverse pass released Riley Alford, who switched the play with a long ball from left-to-right and right-winger Tom Chapman easily cut inside Punjab’s left-back Andrew Dythe but his left-footed shot from 25-yards rolled towards Anibaba, who gathered the ball at the second attempt.

Anibaba may have got fingers to Deal’s best chance of the entire game.

Alford cut in from the left and clipped the ball into the Punjab box, the ball was cushioned away by Punjab centre-half Stephen Ratcliff before Tom Chapman (with his back to goal) teed up Billy Munday, who curled the ball towards the far corner with his right-boot from 25-yards.  The goalkeeper dived to his right to flick the ball behind at full-stretch.

“I thought we started well. I think he had a header as well.  I thought for 10 minutes we started well and started bright,” said King.

Sian added: “We had the first five minutes then they settled for 10 minutes and that’s when I knew that we had to get back into it.  I think they had a couple of decent chances, not clear-cut but they had a couple of bits and they were on top a little bit but after that I felt we settled really well and we got it spot on.”

Deal Town won the corner-count by six-to-four and went close following their second flag-kick.

Left-back Jack Penny’s deliveries are also on the money, and the ball was knocked back at the far post and Punjab failed to clear their lines and centre-half Alfie Foster’s overhead kick screamed just past the left-hand post from eight-yards.

Deal Town linked up well down the right with right-back Lewis Stevens-Toomey and Tom Chapman, who whipped in a quality cross which was met by holding midfielder Munday, who glanced his towering header past the right-post from eight-yards.

However, it was Punjab United who grabbed the lead – against-the-run-of-play at the time - with 15 minutes and 57 seconds on the clock.

Centre-half Jamie Watson was inside Deal’s half and wasn’t being pressed and rolled the ball out to Edwards, who was given too much space and raced forward some 20-yards, before whipping in a cross of high quality with his right-foot.

Foster switched off and gave Vines too much space which you cannot afford to do and the striker side-footed his hooked volley past Newcombe from eight-yards.

Sian said: “Listen, Vinsey, we rested him for nearly 14 days. We’ve been looking after him because we wanted to make sure he was fit and ready and he was ready to go.

“We put him through his paces with the physio on Friday night and he hated it! He phoned me on the way home and said, ‘my hamstring is fine, I’m ready to go!’.

“He deserved that. He’s brilliant, the guy is unbelievable. Age is just a number right? When you’re scoring goals like that in front of 1,851 fans, who cares that he’s 39?!”

King added: “Brilliant cross from Chris Edwards, great finish, great goal from them.  I think that’s a quality goal that one.

“Tactically we were in a situation a little bit and we knew Chrissy Edwards would be a danger and we didn’t deal with that.  Again, my shout and it’s cost us the first goal and that’s always crucial in a cup final.

“The big thing for me is we’ve gone behind in a cup final and I made a decision to be expansive and take risks and we’ve done that recently on the run we’ve been on and it worked and today it didn’t.

“In hindsight we should’ve shut-up shop at 1-0 and had 10 minutes of just letting the game die a little bit and then go again but we took a risk and when you roll the dice sometimes it goes against you and it’s gone against us today.”

Punjab United doubled their lead, following their first corner, with 24 minutes and 37 seconds on the clock.

Foster – who had an awful game – headed the ball behind for a corner and paid the price.

Dythe floated the ball in from the right towards the back post and Lea Dawson’s flick clipped the top of the far post and Hussain had a couple of bites of the cherry to bundle the ball over the line, into the bottom left-hand corner from close range.

Sian said: “We’re good on set-pieces and I said we can exploit them and get in their faces a little bit early. I thought it was really good. It was a good, deserved goal, we were on top then.”

King said: “Look, a great delivery from them, a good header.  Three Bridges away in The FA Cup in August was the last time we’ve conceded a goal from a corner.

“That just summed up about everything that’s gone wrong. At 2-0, it’s stick and twist then isn’t it and we’ve gone for it.

“We’ve had a go and they’ve had the quality to go and pick us off on the counter and we’ve got to take our medicine.”

Punjab United raced into a three-goal lead with 28 minutes and 39 seconds on the clock, following their second corner.

Dythe’s left-footed corner came in from the right again, the ball was cleared out to Edwards, who took a touch before playing the ball square to central midfielder Jordan Campbell, who dinked the ball back into the Deal Town box.

Foster switched off again and lost the desire stakes to Johnson-Cole, who wanted it more and lashed his right-footed shot into the top left-hand corner from six-yards, giving Newcombe not chance to save it.

Sian said: “I thought William and Theo were outstanding! Two pacey wingers, which I always go with my teams over the years. I love my wingers and if you give it to them early, we cause damage and I thought they were brilliant today.”

King added: “I think we’ve stopped playing an offside and the lad snuck in around the back. He obviously wasn’t offside, the forward was offside, probably not interfering but look we’ve got to a stage when we’re behind in the game and we’ve gone on and pushed bodies on and been expansive and today it’s cost us.”

Penny’s free-kick was flicked on by Alford and striker Millbank’s looping header was gathered by Anibaba at the second attempt, just in front of his goal-line.

Deal Town went closer following their fifth corner of the game.

Penny played the ball short to Tom Chapman, before slipping a short pass back to Penny, who was tackled by Johnson-Cole’s sliding tackle on the corner of the box before the ball fell to Jack Hanson (who was forced off with a knock to his back at the break), who drove a right-footed drive flashing across the diving keeper and just past the foot of the far post from 22-yards.

Sian admitted he was in dreamland when his clinical side raced into a four-goal lead with 41 minutes and 25 second on the clock.

Punjab United hit Deal Town on the counter-attack down the right as Edwards fed McKenzie, who released Hussain, who put McKenzie through on goal and he kept composed as he cut in from the right into the box to slot his right-footed shot into the bottom near corner from 10-yards with only Newcombe to beat.

Sian replied: “Dreamland that one. Listen, you’re in dreamland. We couldn’t believe it but we were on top and I think we rocked them then and when it was two and three, it could’ve been a bit more before half-time. It could’ve been a lot more before half-time.”

King said: “We’ve had a great bit of football, we get the ball out to Jack Penny, very, very high up the pitch and we’ve given it away and we got countered.  They cheated a little bit all afternoon, fair play to them, with their forward players, left them high and we weren’t good enough to exploit it going forward, which we normally are.

“They had lots of pace and power, they hurt us on the counter.  I don’t know how many shots they had in the first half but it couldn’t have been many more than the four they scored but fair play to them.”

Penny’s free-kick some 45-yards from goal was met by Foster’s back-post header, which bounced into Anibaba’s hands, before being clattered by Munday, who was booked.

It should have been five at the end of the half when Edwards’ free-kick came in from the right and Vines knocked his header into the ground from inside the six-yard box and Newcombe dropped to his knees to make a vital block.

“I don’t know how he saved that? That was a great save, to be fair to him, a great save. That could’ve been five by half-time,” added Sian.

Sian was in dreamland during the interval, while King issued apologies to his shell-shocked team.

Sian said: “I just said to them, we’re here, we’ve won the first half. Now it’s time to just concentrate. Let’s play game management and that’s what we’ve been really good at recently. Our form says a lot.

“I think people underestimate us, we’re in the top five form guide in the league. We had a slow start but I think teams underestimate Punjab United.  Ok underestimate us but we’re good at what we do and I said if we get the fifth, game over.”

King revealed: “I’ve worked with this group of players for a very long time and they have my trust and I apologised to them for probably being expansive at 2-0 and asking them to be in those situations and putting them at risk so I apologised to them for that.

“We obviously knew at that point the game was gone.  I think at 3-0 you’ve sometimes got a chance to win it but the game was gone so I’ve checked on some injuries and see how they were; talked about what we needed to do better second half but we’re calm and collected in what we’re doing.

“We’ve obviously let down a massive travelling support today as a group and that is the most disappointing thing.

“I’m not going to dig the group of players out, they’ve been unbelievable since Christmas – I’ve made decisions in a game asking to do stuff and take risks but it is what it is, but on me.”

Ratcliff’s intended pass was intercepted by Deal winger Tom Chapman before Stevens-Toomey’s deep ball came in from the right towards the corner of the penalty area on the other side but Penny drove his shot into the ground and Anibaba made another comfortable save after 170 seconds into the second half.

Millbank’s reverse pass allowed Tom Chapman to drill in a cross-shot from the right, which Anibaba palmed away while diving high to his right and Penny took a touch on the left by-line before cracking the ball into the side netting from a very tight angle.

However, any signs of a slim Deal Town fightback were extinguished when Punjab United scored their fifth goal, eight minutes and 59 seconds on the clock.

Edwards released McKenzie down the right and called for an overlap but McKenzie ignored that appeal and cut the ball onto his left-foot before putting the ball into a dangerous area.

Vines tussled for the ball with Foster in the middle and the grounded Vines managed to poke his shot towards goal, which was parried by Newcombe and the ball fell kindly for Hussain to stroke his left-footed shot into the left-hand corner from six-yards.

“It’s a great finish to be honest.  He was brilliant, the boy was brilliant,” said Sian.

“I’ve dropped him a few times recently and fair play to him, he asked the right question,  ‘why am I getting dropped?’ and I said ‘because you’re getting lazy.’

“His strength is his work rate and when he works he creates those chances by himself and he was fantastic.”

King admitted: “It just felt like one of those days where everything that dropped, dropped to one of their players. Now that’s not an excuse because I think you make your own luck.

“There was a couple when their keeper shanked it and it went straight to one of their players. It was just one of those days where it wasn’t to be.”

Deal Town were reduced to 10 men with 18:50 on the clock.

Dawson was inside the Punjab half and played a long ball up to Vines, who flicked the ball on and put McKenzie in a foot-race with Foster, who pulled him back.  It appeared that Foster could have been level but referee Wayne Horsfall pulled out a red card.

King said: “If you sit down before the game and you think what things are least likely to go wrong for us, you think about conceding goals from set-pieces, where we’re very strong. You think about our centre-halves Greenie and Alfie have been outstanding and you think they are your safe areas.

“It just felt like today that whatever could go wrong just went wrong.  I feel sorry for Greenie. He got exposed where we were chasing the game and the boy’s got in.  Was there a little bit of cover? I don’t know. I thought there was a possibility of a little bit of cover but I’m definitely not going to be that man who comes out having got beat like that and starts having a go at the referee because that’s not influenced the result.

“Greenie will come back stronger, he’s a good lad and he’s got my full backing, he's been brilliant for us, Alfie as well.”

Sian simply added: “It’s blatant. That was blatant. He should’ve gone. I know it’s horrible to the lad at the back but he pulled him back. He’s got to go. Theo was gone, he was gone!”

Newcombe built a five-man wall for the resulting free-kick taken right-footed by Edwards on the edge of the D, but Newcombe used both of his hands to punch the ball away while diving to his right.

Edwards was given time and space to hit a right-footed drive from 35-yards, which was sailing towards the top right-hand corner, only for Newcombe to comfortably pluck the ball out of the air.

Deal Town could not live with the outstanding Punjab United attack of Johnson-Cole (left) and McKenzie (right) and Hussain (centre) – and Sian has a job keeping the trio at the club next season.

Sian’s men were gifted their sixth goal by some sloppy goalkeeping from Newcombe, with 23 minutes and 59 seconds on the clock.

Johnson-Cole cut onto his right-foot before laying the ball off to McKenzie, who was in space 25-yards from goal, drilling his shot towards goal, which was spilt by Newcombe and Hussain gleefully hit a first time shot into the far corner from inside the six-yard box.

Sian admitted: “Listen, I think I’m still dreaming on that bit. I was too busy celebrating when he scored. It was really, really good and it was well deserved. The boy works hard and when you work hard, you get a bit of luck.

“Don’t poach him, no-one now, he’s one of mine,”

King added: “We’re still gambling at that point and we’re throwing bodies even with 10 men, we’re still trying to have a go.

“I thought their front four were outstanding. We know what Johnson-Cole has got in him. We know what McKenzie can do and Jayden’s come from nowhere really this season but he’s been a threat and got a hat-trick (against Kennington) in the week and everyone knows about Vinsey and I thought their front four all turned up.

“We’ve got to take our medicine. We’ve got to take it on the chin. We’re very disappointed but we’ll stick together and we won’t point fingers.”

Edwards fed Hussain, who rode Munday’s sliding tackle, but the hat-trick hero swept his right-footed shot across Newcome and past the foot of the far post from 18-yards.

Edwards was lucky not to be sent-off himself for challenge on Millbank, who was sent flying to the ground and the Punjab right-back was already on a yellow card.

With three-men in the Punjab United wall, half-time substitute midfielder Macauley Murray’s right-footed free-kick from 25-yards bounced once and was comfortably gathered by Anibaba, to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom far corner in the 77^th minute.

Sian was delighted that his sweeper-keeper maintained a clean-sheet.

“I said to him at half-time, ‘look you’re going over to the other end, the Deal fans are going to wind you up, so you’ve got to hold your nerve.’

“He went ‘Chip, don’t worry about me, I’m fine. I’m not letting nothing in!’

“I think that’s the best thing about today because we deserved that. We kept them really quiet. Rilwan made a wonderful save here and there but he deserved that clean-sheet. He’s a nice guy, as well as on the pitch.”

Murray’s free-kick from the right was met by Foster’s looping header, which was caught by the Punjab United goalkeeper in what proved to be final chance of the game before skipper Dawson lifted the silverware.

“It’s a dream come true. It’s unbelievable,” said Sian, whose club celebrated a Sikh religious festival on Saturday.

“Everyone went to the temple this morning, there were 49 people on the coach, they all met up early, went to the temple.  Vaisakhi, which is the birth of our religion and it’s just a great day all round.

“The nice thing is the boys all came into the temple and sat down and listened to the blessing about their families and ‘good luck to you all’ and they went out and we were composed and we were ready.  I just knew we were going to win. Sometimes it is written.

“I think the way we played today, everyone in the stadium knew we had a great game and we won all of our individual battles and we scored some really good goals.

“I think the fans, when you saw them clap us off, 400 Punjab fans from Gravesend. They will be having a drink with us in the pub later on so it’s going to be hell of a night tonight!”

Erith & Belvedere (81 points, three games remaining) will claim the league title with a victory at Tunbridge Wells on Monday night.

However, League officials have confirmed the trophy will be presented to the champions after their game against Deal Town at Park View Road on Wednesday night – that’s if they get over the line in first place.

Phoenix Sports (75 points with two games remaining), Deal Town (74 points with two games remaining) and Erith Town (74 points with one game remaining) are fighting for that sole away play-off place against a Step Four struggler.

King demands a reaction from his side against Matt Longhurst’s side.

“We’ve just had a long chat in the dressing room and everyone’s going to be watching us on Wednesday aren’t they?

“No one in the world would’ve expected that result. Everyone’s going to be watching our reaction on Wednesday and we’ve just said to the boys our job is to try to get six points.  We’ve got to go and try to win at Erith & Belvedere and win at home to Sutton Athletic (22 April) and if we get 80 points then we’ve had an unbelievable season.

“That’s all we can do now. Look, I trust those players in that dressing room. We weren’t at our best today but the way I work is we stick with people.

“I just owe one massive apology to everyone who travelled. It wasn’t for the lack of effort or a lack of trying. It just didn’t go for us today and we know we let a lot of people down but I’m big enough and man enough and I’ve been around long enough and I’ll take that on the shoulders. I’ve made a decision, I made the shots and they didn’t work. Players did what I asked and we’ll react and we’ll try to go to Erith & Belvedere on Wednesday and try to win a game of football.

“It is a low. I’m the one that has to come out and front if up (in the post-match press conference) and I’ll always do that and I’m happy to take responsibility for what happened.  I think people know throughout Kent how my side play and how we go and today that wasn’t us.

“It’s happened on the worst day possible for us.  We’ll get a reaction, they’ll be a reaction because I trust this group of players and they’ll be hurting.”

King had this message to the 1,200 Deal Town fans that witnessed the humiliation.

“The biggest disappointment today was that we’ve let them all down.  They were still clapping us off at the end.  I’m not sure we deserved it on our performance but fair play to them for that.  We’re thankful to every single person that turned up today, we’re really sorry that we didn’t show what we’re about.

“I’m just disappointed that we didn’t show the people that don’t watch us regularly what we’re about because it was very unlike Deal Town that.  Look, all we can do is use today as a motivation as we move forward because the boys are hurting.”

Punjab United, meanwhile, travel to Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday and host Lordswood on Saturday and Sian wants to finish their league campaign on a high note.

“Listen, we’ve said it even before this game. I said I want to be in the top 10. I want to finish top 10 and if we can win a cup, great. We’ve won the cup, it’s unbelievable, now it’s time to finish in the top 10.”

Sian revealed that Vines and Ashley Probets will remain at the club next season as player-coaches and has already started planning for next season, which will see four play-off places underneath the sole automatic promotion place for the champions.

“The key is to sit down with a lot of them and see where their minds are at and whoever’s not going to commit we’re going to go and get what we want,” said Sian.

“We’re in a good position. The boys are imbedded with the club. Ninety percent are staying which is fantastic.    I think the target next season is play-offs, which is a fantastic target for the club. If we can keep the group of players and maybe add a few, I think we’ve got a really good chance.”

Punjab United: Rilan Anibaba, Chris Edwards, Andrew Dythe, Lea Dawson, Stephen Ratcliff, Jamie Watson, William Johnson-Cole (Chandler Kasai 81), Jordan Campbell, Jayden Hussain (Marvin Okundalaiye 90), Paul Vines, Theodore McKenzie (Ashley Probets 84).
Subs: Jack Arnold, Dylan Gilbert

Goals: Paul Vines 16, Jayden Hussain 25, 54, 69, William Johnson-Cole 29, Theodore McKenzie 42

Booked: Chris Edwards 44

Deal Town:  Henry Newcombe, Lewis Stevens-Toomey (Sam Taylor 60), Jack Penny, Billy Munday, Alfie Foster, Alex Green, Riley Alford (Lenny Atherton 74), Jack Hanson (Macauley Murray 46), Aaron Millbank, Ben Chapman, Tom Chapman.
Subs: Joe Reeves, Connor Coyne

Booked: Billy Munday 45, Alfie Foster 84

Sent Off: Alex Green 64

Attendance: 1,851
Referee: Mr Wayne Horsfall
Assistants: Mr Mark Fitzpatrick & Mr Michael Donnelly
Fourth Official: Mr Matthew Pollington