Manager Steve King described in-form Deal’s victory at frontrunners Faversham as a match which was a great advert for Southern Counties East Premier Division football on Saturday.

A second-half brace from striker Aaron Millbank guided the Hoops to a 10th straight triumph in front of a crowd of 779 at Salters Lane after goals from forward Rory Smith and midfielder Billy Munday in their 4-2 victory.

The result leaves third-placed Deal just two points off the summit - but still with four league fixtures in hand on the Lilywhites - and they could move top with another victory at Lordswood on Tuesday.

“It was a really good advert for Step 5 football,” reflected King. “I thought it was a proper game of football, played at a real tempo - with goals and chances.

“The officials did well in letting the game flow. I thought it was a good game and one of those games that could have gone either way at 2-2.

“We went for it. We made an attacking substitution because it was a bit of a free hit, with the league as it was and it’s come off for us.

“But they’re an excellent side. We exploited their weaknesses well, they exploited our weaknesses well - both sides had certainly done their homework. We’re not getting carried away.

Report: Faversham 2-4 Deal

“We have played 18 games of football (in the league) and have 22 still to play - but it’s a decent win.”

It took Deal just four minutes to score, as Rory Smith fired in with their first attack after the hosts had made a decent start.

King said: “I thought we started poorly actually and they started well. But what a great move it was. It just showed our quality.

“We’ve got pace, we knew we could counter, and it was a great cross and a great finish.”

The Hoops had also kept three straight clean sheets amid a remarkable run, although they themselves conceded early. A free-kick by midfielder Sam Hasler took a deflection which wrong-footed away keeper Henry Newcombe.

King said: “If you look at their record all season - 2-2 against Glebe, 2-2 against Whitstable and 4-3 here against Erith Town - we were probably going to concede.

“It sounds horrible but our team-talk before the game was that we are going to get chances. Can we take them? Can we limit our mistakes? I don’t think we necessarily expected to come here and keep a clean sheet.

“I know I’ve spoken about it recently but it’s not Faversham away where you worry about clean sheets - that’s more when you are playing teams in the bottom half. So, neither of their goals worried us.

“We reacted well to them both.”

Two of their goals came from corners, one coming in the first period when Munday powerfully nodded in a Macauley Murray delivery.

King, who brought off captain Kane Smith for midfielder Jack Hanson in a tactical half-time change, noted: “It’s a great ball and a great header, isn’t it? At any level.

“I think Bill is still in the air, to be fair! I love the fact we get a bit of a reputation as a set-piece team because it means, sometimes, people forget about our other threats. But it’s important to score goals from set-pieces and we’re never going to moan [about it].

“We got the fourth from a set-piece, as well. It’s fantastic.”

Among the crowd was a healthy away contingent who were in fine voice throughout the game.

“It’s fantastic support,” said King. “I don’t think it really hit us or the players until the end of the game when you realise there’s a couple of hundred people there.

“Obviously, you hear them during the game but you’re more focused on what’s going on. We have got fantastic support.

“The club is going from strength to strength. We’re trying to do things properly and give ourselves a base, going forward.

“I’m a proud man today because I think this is a bit of a statement win. A lot of people would have looked at this result and seen what we had about us.

“We haven’t always been brilliant on 3Gs and we haven’t always been brilliant in big games. But we were excellent and could have got a couple at the end to make it even more emphatic.

“I’m pleased – but there’s a long way to go.”

Overall, Deal have only been beaten twice - by Snodland on both occasions - in their last 21 games and haven’t lost since October.

King said: “It’s nice.

“Before I was in management, I remember people saying ‘Next game, next game’ and thinking ‘Well, you don’t really believe that’ - but you do!

“We’re already talking about Lordswood and that’s my thought process now, looking ahead to Tuesday.

“Hopefully, we go and win again. It’s the end of the season in May when you sit down and think ‘That was a good run’, isn’t it?

“But right now, we’re just trying to win the next game.”

The Hoops visit Holmesdale next weekend after their midweek journey to Medway.