Manager Steve King has described Deal’s display in their much-needed home win over rivals Whitstable as the best he has seen from them in recent seasons.

The Southern Counties East Premier Division outfit earned their first league triumph of the campaign at the fifth attempt last Tuesday.

Goals from midfielder Billy Munday, Aaron Millbank, with a penalty, and fit-again Tom Chapman put Deal 3-0 ahead against the Oystermen by half-time. With no goals in the second half, that’s how it stayed.

King, whose team made it back-to-back home wins with a weekend 4-3 Kent Senior Trophy triumph against Holmesdale, said: “We’re really pleased.

“The Whitstable result was a massive one for us.

“We know they are one of the stronger sides in the league. They’ve had a decent side and I thought we were outstanding.

“We were 3-0 up at half-time and managed the game, second half, giving very little away.

“I thought our 90-minute performance was spot-on.

“It’s as good as I’ve seen for probably three or four years from us, to be honest. That really kickstarted our season.

“Then, on Saturday, we made a bit of a pig’s ear of it in terms of, basically, giving them two goals through awful mistakes. But our overall performance was very good.

“We scored four goals and, despite gifting them two, arguably three goals, we still won the game.

“It’s been a pleasing week.”

Winger Chapman and striker Millbank were on the scoresheet against Holmesdale, as well, alongside two-goal Rory Smith.

Multi-talented sportsman Smith is now available at weekends after finishing his cricket season.

King said: “You add a fit Tom Chapman in, a fit and firing Rory Smith in, a fit Alex Green in, Alfie Foster returning from suspension and Kane Smith, that makes a difference.

“It was good to see a really good crowd there on Tuesday night and another good one on Saturday. I think they saw ‘the real Deal’ - if you’ll pardon the phrase.”

But the Hoops still remain closer to the bottom than the top of the table after a tricky start to the season.

They can make up ground, though, with successive away league trips to Stansfeld and Hollands & Blair on Saturday and Tuesday, respectively, while other sides are set to be in FA Vase action this weekend.

“It’s a massive week,” admitted King.

“We have got five points from five league games. Come next Saturday, we will have played eight league games. We could be sitting on anywhere between five and 14 points.

“If we sit on 14 points from eight games, that’s actually not too bad as a start, considering the disaster that we have had.

“If we’re on six or seven points from eight games, then we’ve got a lot of work to do.

“We have got two difficult away games. Stansfeld away is always really tough.

“They have been together a long time and they’re difficult to beat - we didn’t beat them last year.

“We drew away and lost at home. Bearing in mind we came three points off winning the league, and we only got one point against them, it shows they’re very strong.

“Hollands & Blair away, they’ve picked up. Scott Porter sides are never easy to beat.

“Then, we return home against Corinthian who have had a great start. [Manager] Michael Golding is a good friend. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and the job he does.

“They’re going to come down and be really determined to get a result.

“We’ve got three really tough games but we look at it as an opportunity to get a haul of points on the board.”

Midfielder Macauley Murray is Deal’s main injury concern, with keeper Henry Newcombe close to a return - Sam Hignett was in goal against Whitstable and goalkeeper coach Kieron Hollier played against Holmesdale.

Forward Riley Alford also turned out for Ashford in the Kent County League at the weekend and, provided he comes through a midweek match for them, will be back in contention for the Hoops.

King added: “People talk about headaches as a manager when you have a lot of good players available.

“I can promise you the headache for the first couple of weeks of the season where I’m still trying to scramble a squad together on a Friday night is much worse!

“I’m quite happy to have a lot of good players available and having to leave some on the bench and some out of the squad.”