Connor Coyne grabbed a first half hat-trick to set up the Hoops’ first away win of the season on Saturday.

The striker struck in the ninth, 17th and 28th minutes as Deal totally dominated the opening period against a Crowborough side who had done the “double” over them last season.

Harris Rodgers also scored for the Hoops five minutes before the break so that Derek Hares’ team went in at half-time leading 4-0 and with the game apparently all ready over.

But the Crows, to their credit, produced a much better second half performance and they pulled a goal on 69 minutes through Luke Leppard.

The Hoops then conceded their fifth penalty of the season a minute later from which Jake Funnell made it 4-2, but Deal then played out the remaining 20 minutes with few further alarms to seal a victory which lifted them to fourth place in the table.

Deal: Kallmier, Butcher, O’Brien, Bigginton, Hark, Scott, Foster, Cardwell, Coyne, Wilson, Rodgers.