Hoops manager Derek Hares praised his team’s “commitment” after Deal came from behind twice to notch their fourth win in five games.
After watching Steve O’Brien’s late penalty seal all three points Hares said: “If I’m being honest it wasn’t one of our better performances but you can’t fault the boys’ commitment, they hung in there and won it in the end.
“Greenwich concede a lot of goals but they are always likely to score as well and that’s the way it was today.”
Borough, who had won their previous match 6-5, needed only three minutes on Saturday to underline their attacking threat when Alex Nelson volleyed home low from the 18-yard line.
Deal were guilty of squandering possession too easily in the opening stages but as soon as they did succeed in stringing several passes together it resulted in an 18th-minute equaliser. Billy Munday picked out Joe Reeves wide right, and Reeves then set up Ben Chapman for a low cross into the area which Connor Coyne finished off from close range.
That helped the Hoops to settle into some sort of rhythm but Greenwich remained dangerous going forward, especially down the Hoops’ left flank where O’Brien had his hands full trying to cope with Borough winger Fred Obasa, while on the opposite wing Richard Jimoh almost put the visitors back in front when he thundered a 26th-minute effort against the Hoops woodwork. At the other end the hard-working Sam Wilson then went close for the Hoops before the action petered out in terms of genuine chances in the run-up to half-time.
Obasa, however, always remained a threat on the ball and when he again raced past O’Brien with 58 minutes gone his cross was turned in at the near post by Kemo Darboe.
That could have knocked some of the stuffing out of the Hoops but instead they responded by equalising again just four minutes later helped by the sort of poor Greenwich defensive work which has left them in the bottom reaches of the table. Chapman was the player to profit this time, reacting quickest to poke home the loose ball after Borough ‘keeper Ryan Coltress had blocked the midfielder’s initial effort.
Chapman then saw his diving header saved by Coltress after a great run and cross by Reeves, and as the game entered the closing stages it was the Hoops who looked the more likely winners. But they still needed a helping hand, or more accurately arm, from Darboe who sent Coyne sprawling in the area two minutes from time. That gave O’Brien the chance to make up for his difficult afternoon and he did so by slotting home the resulting spot kick.
Hares added: “It was nice to score from a penalty for a change because we’ve missed so many over the past year or so, and with four wins out of five I’ve got to be pleased with that.”
Deal: Tonkin, Reeves (Treadwell 70), O’Brien, Bigginton (Cardwell 46), Maughan, Hark,Munday (Penny 79), Murray, Coyne, Wilson, Chapman.
Attendance: 188