Deal Town meet league leaders Sevenoaks Town at home on Saturday (3pm) and Deal manager Derek Hares is well aware of the size of the task facing his side.

Sevenoaks have already won at the Charles Ground this season, a 3-1 victory in the Kent Senior Trophy in September, and Hares said: “They are very good. The first time we played them they were 3-0 up in the first half an hour and the game was more or less over. We were better in the second half but it was too late by then.

“We are looking forward to Saturday’s game. All the pressure’s on them. They are looking to win the league and with the squad they’ve got they are one of the favourites.”

For their part Deal can draw confidence from having won their last three matches in league and cup and they will have Dean Hill and Kane Smith available again after both defenders missed last weekend’s 3-1 victory over Croydon. But Steve Butcher and Jack Paxman are both suspended while Luke Bigginton is ruled out by a recurrence of his knee problem.