Deal Town boss Derek Hares wasn’t keen on having a weekend off.

The Hoops don’t have a game on Saturday but have been in scintillating form, netting 16 goals in their previous three matches.

A 4-0 win at Rusthall on Saturday followed last Tuesday’s 6-2 victory over Erith & Belvedere in the Kent Senior Trophy and a 6-1 thrashing of Canterbury City in the match before that.

Alfie Foster, Billy Munday, Macaulay Murray and Joe Reeves scored on Saturday and The Hoops could have won by more. Murray had a penalty saved and the woodwork also denied them.

“We just really want to keep going,” said Hares, as he faced a blank weekend.

“Rusthall are down near the bottom of the league but they had a decent win before that against Beckenham and we knew it would be a bit of a test.

“First half we weren’t at our best but we got a goal, a good header by Alfie Foster, and then we had a penalty saved right on half-time, it was a good save. Second half we were very good, excellent.

“It was as good as we have been for a while. We looked strong and got three more goals and once the second had gone in it killed it off, but you can never be sure and I was very pleased with the performance.

“Any game in this league is tough, particularly away from home. If you can pick up away wins and your home form is good then you always have a chance, haven’t you?

“Our away record is pretty good. It is pleasing. It is quite a trip for the boys, they have been excellent and it was a thoroughly enjoyable win.”

Deal’s re-arranged clash with Chatham was again postponed last night (Tuesday). It was the third time the clubs had attempted to get the game on, with the fixture at the start of the season getting abandoned because of a waterlogged pitch.

Last week it was off again because of heavy rain, and this time Storm Barra forced the game to be postponed, with a new date likely in January.

Chatham are second, with Sheppey top and Glebe third. Deal are one of those clubs looking to get among it and Hares doesn’t see why they can’t.

He said: “It might look like a three-horse race but I don’t think us and a couple of others are thinking that.

"There are still 20-odd games to go, many twists and turns, we still have to play Chatham again and Sheppey twice. Other teams will take points off them as well.

“We are not talking about the league too much, the main thing is we are playing well, we are in and around that top four or five, we just want to keep it going.”

Deal return to action on Wednesday, December 15 with a trip to Staplehurst in the Challenge Cup second round.