Boss Steve King can’t believe Deal ended up on the wrong end of their Kent Senior Trophy home tie against Snodland.

Deal, last season’s runners-up, lost 2-1 to their Southern Counties East Premier Division rivals last weekend, despite midfielder Jack Hanson’s second-half equaliser.

Deal captain Kane Smith pulled out in the warm-up and Ben Davisson put the visitors ahead with a controversial penalty.

Although the away side had a player dismissed early in the second period - and had to twice play with nine men for spells with other men sin-binned - they stayed in the match.

Jack Bath then popped up with a stoppage-time winner. The result ended a seven-match winning run for the Hoops.

King reflected: “I don’t know how we didn’t win the game.

“I thought it was probably our best performance of the season. We did a lot of things very well and Adam Molloy, in goal for them, had an absolute worldie. The post, the bar and everything else conspired against us.

“Then, in the 97th minute, they pop up the other end and a mis-hit drops to one of their men who volleys it in.

“I’m gutted but pretty philosophical about it.

“A couple of refereeing decisions went against us. The penalty that was given, I’ve watched that back, and I can’t see that myself. I thought they could have had a sending-off in the first half - before they had a sending-off.

“I can’t fault the boys. They were outstanding and, if that game is replayed, we win it nine times out of 10.

“So no complaints from me - other than the fact that we are out.”

Ironically, the previous weekend, the Hoops themselves had beaten Kennington 2-0 despite being reduced to nine men.

“It’s not easy with nine,” admitted King. “We had to do it.

“They stuck in. We bombarded their goal and I was really pleased with our chance creation and very pleased with us 11 versus 11 and 11 versus 10.

“Molloy made two or three saves that you just don’t see keepers at our level making.

“We’ve hit the bar, hit the underside of the bar and hit the post, and had a stonewall penalty for handball turned down. It was just one of those days.”

Midfielder Macauley Murray has stepped up his comeback from injury, playing for Deal’s Reserves.

King said: “There’s a big step between reserve football and first-team football so we’ve got to get him in training this week and see how he is.

“But certainly in the next couple of weeks, he will be back featuring. He’s been a massive player.

“He’s very experienced. He’s our vice-captain so that was one of the bonuses of Saturday. I did ring him afterwards and told him ‘Please tell me you got through it okay because I don’t need any more bad luck!’.

“It felt like the world was against us - but he got through okay.”

The Hoops will aim to continue their resurgent league form at Erith Town, managed by Adam Woodward, this Saturday.

“They’re a good side,” noted King, whose team host Snodland again, this time in the league, on Tuesday.

“They’re a little bit similar to us, really. Woody has been at Erith nearly as long as I’ve been at Deal. They’ve built over time and they’re very organised.

“They have got a lot of committed players to the club. He’s a good manager and they’re always very difficult to beat.

“We beat them three times at the end of last season - the Kent Senior Trophy Semi-Final and both league games. So I’m sure they are not going to need any motivation to beat us.

“All of those games were really tight affairs and I expect Saturday to be exactly the same.”

But Deal’s strength-in-depth is set to be tested, with winger Tom Chapman and defender Liam Hark suspended.

On the fitness front, defenders Alfie Foster, Alex Green and forward Rory Smith are all carrying knocks, as is Kane Smith.

King revealed: “I don’t think anything is long term. We could have five out, we could have them all fit. We’ll train this week and assess them.

“We’ve got to bear in mind that we have Saturday-midweek-Saturday-midweek and then a big Saturday game away at Glebe.

“We have to be careful to not risk some bodies that aren’t quite fit.”