Steve King is remaining level-headed despite Deal finding themselves inching towards the top of the table.

With most other clubs in cup action, the Hoops moved into the Southern Counties East Premier Division play-offs with a remarkable 7-3 weekend home win against Rusthall on Saturday.

They are five points behind frontrunners Glebe with three games in hand and three points adrift of second-placed Faversham, having played two league fixtures less than them.

“It’s nice at this point that we could probably come anywhere between first and seventh,” said Deal manager King.

“Maybe a few weeks ago we might have been having a conversation where we thought we might be able to come anywhere between second and seventh.

“The fact nobody is running away with it, there’s probably seven or eight sides looking and thinking they possibly could still win the league. Obviously, we’re one of them.

“People keep telling me, if we win our games in hand, we will go top so I can’t sit here and say that’s not something we’re aiming to do. Of course we are.

“But if we lose a couple of games, getting into the play-offs could become very difficult.

“We have just split the rest of the season into little six-game mini seasons and we will just keep playing our little six-game mini seasons, and picking up as many points as we can.

“That’s how we have done it the last few years and that’s how we have done it again this year.”

Those at the Charles Sports Ground for the Hoops’ match against Rusthall certainly got their money’s worth.

They saw 10 goals, Rusthall keeper Serine Sanneh sent off, an outfield player go in goal for the spot-kick, save it - and then be replaced by another goalkeeper from the away bench.

Deal’s hat-trick hero makes team-of-the-week

King admitted: “It was a bit of a strange game.

“Obviously to concede three was disappointing. But we were pretty comfortable, it was nice to score plenty of goals and it keeps our good run going.

“Their keeper got sent off and conceded a penalty at 4-2. He decided to punch Aaron Millbank as he tried to clear the ball - a very strange decision - so that was the penalty and red card. But, to be honest, the game was won and over by then.

“It was a good one for the crowd, a good one for entertainment, not so much as a manager.”

Striker Millbank continued his red-hot form since taking the captain’s armband on a temporary basis, adding a hat-trick to last Tuesday’s brace in a 4-2 victory at Bearsted when Billy Munday and Ben Chapman also netted.

Deal’s other goals against Rusthall came through Rory Smith, Ben Chapman, Alfie Foster and an own goal.

King explained: “Since we’ve given him the armband, he can’t stop scoring!

“Aaron always offers us loads and loads, so he’s always really important to us. But now, he’s got 14 goals and scored seven in that week, and strikers are judged by goals.

“To see him right up there with the leading scorers in the league – as well as everything else he offers us - I’m really delighted.”

Now, the Hoops’ focus switches away from the league and to cup matters, initially visiting Southern Combination Premier Division Lingfield in the Third Round of the FA Vase this Saturday.

King thinks his troops will be favourites but won’t underestimate their hosts.

“We’ve started our work and we will be working very hard over the next couple of days,” he said.

“We’ll have them watched on Tuesday night and make sure that, come Saturday, we’re prepared for it.

“It’s a game that we want to go and win, and we’re probably favourites on paper. But we have got to go and perform in what’s probably one of the biggest games in their club’s history.

“They will be bang up for it at home. We want to be in the Vase post-Christmas - we have been two of the last three years - and it starts to get exciting.

“So, we will be trying to keep our good form up on Saturday - but we know they have beaten Whitstable and Tunbridge Wells, and they have beaten Newhaven in their own league. They’re going to be a tough nut to crack.

“It will be a massive game for them.

“It’s not an arrogance thing but we have been to this stage four or five times, so it’s not the biggest game in our recent history - for them it probably is - so we’re going to have to make sure we get it right on Saturday, we don’t underestimate them and we’re at our very best.”

Deal are set to host Division 1 Staplehurst in the Challenge Cup Third Round on Tuesday night.

While King may make changes for that clash, he doesn’t expect there will be wholesale ones.

He said: “We will [rotate the squad] but we will be taking that one seriously, as well.

“We want to win games of football and we want to win trophies.

“The football club hasn’t won a trophy since the FA Vase in 2000. We’ve got the hurt of what happened in the Kent Senior Trophy Final last year (a 6-0 defeat to Punjab) and we’re already out of the Kent Senior Trophy this year.

“Although we will rotate a few boys on Tuesday, we won’t take Staplehurst Monarchs lightly. We will be looking to win that game.

“We won’t be making six, seven or eight changes - we might be making one or two.”

The victors of Deal’s Vase match against Lingfield will earn £1,125.