Boss Steve King believes there’s lots Deal can be proud of from their season - but feels the events from the final week of the campaign can help them reach even greater heights.

The Hoops narrowly missed out on a second-placed finish and a shot at Isthmian League promotion despite getting 80 points, having won their last two league matches.

They bounced back well from a 6-0 thrashing by Punjab United in their disastrous Kent Senior Trophy Final to win 3-0 at champions Erith & Belvedere last Wednesday and earn a 2-0 weekend triumph over Sutton Athletic.

The Hoops ended one position and six points better off than last season.

King said: “We were outstanding.

“After what had happened the previous week, it was a tough week for us. But to go and win 3-0 at Erith & Belvedere and 2-0 against Sutton, keeping clean sheets, was outstanding.

“We’re disappointed not to get second.

“I said all along, if we got 80 points and we didn’t make it, we would have been unlucky. Fair play to Phoenix.

“It’s been an unbelievable season, reaching the Final, the FA Vase run we had and coming third in the league.

“There’s so much we can be really proud of. The events of the last seven days of the season have given us real determination for next year.

“I think the group of players deserve massive respect for bouncing back with two clean sheets after ‘that Sunday’.

“When you take 1,300 fans for a Final and lose 6-0, lots of people ask questions.

“But the fact we got around 700 on Saturday and got the result is great for our long-term development.

“For the players to bounce back how they did, they deserve huge amounts of credit.”

The league victors were awarded the trophy on the night but King felt his Hoops were inspired by the away support while a 715-strong crowd saw them see the season out in style at home.

“We went to Erith & Belvedere on Wednesday night and we must have had 70 to 100 supporters there before kick-off,” he said. “That gave the boys a massive lift.

“Erith & Belvedere were picking up the trophy and we must have had half the crowd! To have more than 700 people again on Saturday was just ridiculous.

“A lot of people know that one day [the Final] was a freak day and to have that support again was incredible.”

Midfielder Billy Munday netted in both wins.

“It was a great finish to the season for Billy,” noted King, who also saw Macauley Murray - with a penalty - and Riley Alford score at Erith & Belvedere.

“I said to him at the start of the season that he would be on a hiding to nothing this season because he’d got 19 goals and swept all the awards. Sometimes, you cannot better that!

“But he’s finished really strongly. It was a great finish from him at Erith & Belvedere and he broke the deadlock on Saturday.”

Deal’s other effort against Sutton Athletic came eight minutes from time through reserve striker Josh Byford, who scored on his first-team debut off the bench.

King said: “I’m really pleased for him. The reserves have had a good season, probably in a level lower than we wanted them to be.

“But they’ve had a great season and I watch them train virtually every week.

“That’s a shout out to [manager] Andy Crush and Marc Richards.”