Manager Derek Hares confessed that he dare not make a mistake with the team’s formation for what he describes as one of Deal’s biggest matches in their history when Selsey visit for Saturday’s lucrative FA Cup first qualifying round tie.

At stake for the winners is £3,000 with the further prospect of £4,500 to follow if the club makes it through the second qualifying round.

Hares, assistant manager Andy Bigginton and coach Mark Harrop will decide the best way forward following the manager’s honest appraisal that he got the formation wrong for last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Ringmer.

He said: "We played one in the hole behind the front two and it didn’t work. Now we must decide whether to go with a 4-3-3 formation or 4-4-2 against Selsey.

"We must be spot on because at this stage of the competition you can’t afford
to make mistakes with so much money at stake."

He added: "I can’t remember ever getting this far in the FA Cup and I regard Saturday’s tie as one of the biggest in the club’s history."