Boss Sammy Moore suggested the Southern Counties East Premier Division title is now Deal’s to lose this season after the in-form Hoops got the better of his Faversham team on Saturday.

Moore’s men lead the way at the end of 2023 - but they are only two points ahead of the Hoops, having been beaten 4-2 by them.

It was a 10th consecutive success for Steve King’s side, who have four league fixtures in hand, with the Lilywhites now winless in three games and around half the season still to play.

Despite refusing to give up his side’s title ambitions, Moore said: “I think it’s theirs to lose, with all their games in hand. Everyone is chasing them down now.

“We could have made it a lot better for ourselves today - but I said to Briggsy (goalkeeper Lewis Briggs), apart from the goals, he’s not had many saves to make.

“I thought their keeper (Henry Newcombe) looked a bit shaky for most of the game but we didn’t test him enough.

“When we did, Stefan Payne goes through one-on-one in the first half and mis-hits it, and KC (Kieron Campbell) goes through in the second half and mis-hits it. So we have had our moments in the game.

Report: Faversham 2-4 Deal

“When the game was tight at 2-2, I didn’t really feel threatened by them. We just switched off.”

After a decent start, Faversham were stunned as forward Rory Smith put the visitors ahead in the fourth minute in front of a crowd of 779 at Salters Lane.

But it was 2-2 by half-time, midfielder Sam Hasler equalising through a deflected free-kick and frontman Stefan Payne also netted after midfielder Billy Munday briefly restored the away side’s advantage from a corner.

Both second-half goals went the way of Deal, though. Striker Aaron Millbank fired home before he added his second and his team’s fourth in the latter stages.

Moore, who went through set-piece training with his squad on Thursday morning, reflected: “I thought, first half, especially the first couple of minutes, we started well. We started brightly - and then the goal came against the run of play.

“We switch off, don’t get back in and one ball across comes in and you find yourself 1-0 down when you’ve had the majority of the ball. We had a shot and a corner, and then they went up the other end to score.

“But we showed great character to come back and get a good goal. Then, we don’t do our jobs.

“We said before the game that they’re good from set-pieces and score most of their goals from set-pieces. Connor (Essam, Faversham’s skipper) doesn’t pick up his man and he scores. But - again - I thought the response was great.

“In the first half, we played some great football. Even though we went in drawing, I felt like we deserved to be in front. But we’ve switched off.

“Then, we come out in the second half and KC should score, really. Their keeper makes a good save. Up until 70 minutes, I felt we were on top and I felt we were going to nick it. But we switch off and Matt Parsons has killed us.

“He doesn’t get close to the winger, we don’t go with the runner and we don’t deal with the ball into our box. He takes a touch in our six-yard box and scores. That cannot happen.

“It was a game of fine margins, really, with two good teams going at it. Credit to them. They took their chances, we didn’t take ours.

“Then, we tried to change it because, at 3-2, you’re always going to chase the game and try to get one. Sam Hasler puts one just past the post.

“Up until 70 minutes, I thought we were the more likely to win the game - but we switched off and we got punished.”

Defender Rahman Kareem came into Faversham’s starting line-up in one of three changes, coming off on the hour mark alongside Matt Newman. Experienced former Folkestone defender Newman was replaced by Jake McIntyre at the same time after he had landed awkwardly on his back.

“We were forced into making changes,” Moore explained.

“Rehman hasn’t played a lot for us so we wanted to get some fresh legs in there.

“Matt said to me that he was struggling at half-time. Then, he went down with his back injury and had to come off.”

Town start 2024 at home to Tunbridge Wells next weekend. They won 2-0 at Rusthall on Saturday in front of a crowd of more than 1,000.