There is a vital period coming up for Deal Town in the context of their season.

Having earned their first Southern Counties East Premier Division clean sheet of the campaign in their 5-0 home win over Holmesdale, they will be out to avoid an FA Vase upset this Saturday at Division 1 FC Elmstead before they host Whitstable on Tuesday.

Matches away to Tunbridge Wells and Phoenix Sports follow soon after for the high-flying Hoops, sandwiched between a home fixture against Hollands & Blair.

But King, whose side lost 3-2 at K Sports last Monday, said: “We have won all our league games at home - four out of four - and scored 15 goals.

"Away from home, I know in the league we have won one and lost two, but we have won at Egham in the FA Cup and won away in the Vase at Alfold as well.

“We know we can do it home and away. We just now need to string three or four wins on the bounce together.

“But we have a tough run of games in the league after the Vase this week - we have Whitstable, Tunbridge Wells, Hollands & Blair and Phoenix after that.

“It’s going to be a testing period but, to win the game like we did on Saturday in front of another big crowd - we had nearly 400 [382] there - it was a good weekend. It was needed after last week’s disappointment.”

With both teams tipped to challenge for promotion, Deal’s game against Whitstable is a vital one.

“The Whitstable one is probably our big local derby,” King said.

“A lot of the players know each other, a lot of the players have played together or against each other in the past. We’re two sides that other people are saying will probably be in and around it.

“But we have got the Vase on Saturday to look at first.

"The Vase is important for us as a club. It means a little bit extra because of the history. We’ll be doing everything we can to try and win the game on Saturday.

“Once that’s over, we’ll focus on Tuesday and I think everyone is excited about the Whitstable game.

“I’m sure it’ll be another big crowd under the lights in midweek. At the end of the day, it’s a game you want to play in.”

FC Elmstead may be sat towards the lower-end of mid-table in Division 1 but have earned a couple of good wins this season.

King plans to watch them tonight visit Erith Town and said: “Obviously they have had some good results this year. They won 3-0 at Larkfield & New Hythe - they are pretty much a SCEFL Premier team on paper with the players that they have got there - so it’ll be a real test.

“It’s a big pitch at Sutton Athletic. It’s going to present some challenges for us but it’s a game we are going to be looking to go and win.”

Alfie Foster, Riley Alford, Ben Chapman and Connor Coyne, alongside Herne Bay frontman Rory Smith, netted in the second half against Holmesdale.

King reflected: “We were very pleased. We implemented all the stuff that we talked about in the week.

“Obviously, we kept a clean sheet which was very pleasing. To then go and win the game very comfortably, it was probably our most complete performance this season so far I would say. Both with and without the ball. We were very pleased with what we did.

“Before Saturday’s game, Holmesdale had only conceded eight goals in seven games, and obviously only lost once, so winning the way we did was a great way to bounce back.”

The clean sheet was just Deal’s second in total this term and King added: “Mentally, it was nice to keep that clean sheet.

“It was our first one at home [this season] and hopefully we can carry on and keep some more now.”