Deal Town made it five without defeat as they handed Hollands & Blair their first defeat in their last five at Star Meadow on Tuesday night. 

In a hugely enjoyable contest for the neutrals, the visitors were ahead on 18 minutes courtesy of Billy Munday’s forceful run and shot, a lead that Tom Chapman brilliantly added to seconds after the break before victory was sealed ten minutes from time when Elliott Moore’s powerful run ended with him rounding the keeper to settle the contest.

Harvey Welford’s late low strike was the very least that the home side deserved from an absorbing contest but will be of scant consolation to Scott Porter and his side. 

But for Steve King and Deal, the return home would have been joyful as their fourth win on the bounce has all but dispelled the memories of their horror start to the season where they picked up just two points from their opening four games.  

Deal had the better of the opening exchanges – Alex Green sent a free header wide, Aaron Millbank charged down a clearance that keeper Dan Ellis was relieved to see fly wide of his goal before Munday shot straight at the Blair keeper when he was well placed.

Munday though was to have the “last laugh” on eighteen minutes, but not before Deal keeper Henry Newcombe pulled off a brilliant finger tipped save to deny Sam Stace.

Munday burst through at the other – reminiscent of his dad Mark’s golden days with Margate – and sent a low drive stinging into the bottom corner of Ellis’ net. 

The Blair keeper then very nearly fashioned an equaliser with one of his trademark huge clearances that dropped just rightly for Dean Grant whose snapshot was magnificently saved by Newcombe low to his left.

From the resulting corner, the keeper was so nearly embarrassed by James Nurden’s superb corner that crashed off the far post and was cleared. 

Grant thought he had levelled as he slotted home Tom Walmsley’s centre, but the assistant’s flag was already up, and it inspired the visitors to finish the half on the front foot.

Tom Chapman crossed from the right and Riley Alford poked the ball past the advancing Ellis only for the ball to come back off the inside of the right post.

The half ended with Rory Smith curling a chance inches wide of the post as Deal went in in front. 

Whatever Porter told his side at the break to try and get them back into the game must have fallen on deaf ears as less than a minute into the second period the lead was doubled with a goal that had Chapman plastered all over it – Ben sprinted away down the right and his pinpoint cross was hammered home by Tom with Ellis helpless. 

Blair tried to respond – Jack Simon headed straight at Newcombe, sub Kene Ukata was brilliantly denied by the Deal keeper low to his left before Newcombe pulled out the save of the night to magnificently tip over Simon’s dipping volley.

All this whilst at the other end Munday missed an excellent opportunity to seal the game with a free header that thudded into Ellis’ chest. 

As Blair pushed on, so the gaps appeared at the back along with the mistakes, and from one of those, Deal did seal the game with ten minutes left as Moore burst through, exchanged passes with Ben Chapman, rounded Ellis and hammered the ball – and the final nail of Blair’s night – into the net! 

Sub Welford did pull one back for the home side with an exquisite drive into the bottom corner to wreck Newcombe’s clean sheet, but it was too little too late for Blair, whose night was summed up and completed by Louis Valencia’s late sin binning – it really was not Blair’s night! 

HOLLANDS & BLAIR – Ellis, Horley, Nurden, Peter-Brolin (Ukata), Davis, Allan, Simon, Giles (Valencia), Grant, Walmsley (Welford), Stace (Ascherl) 

Sub – Lee-Wharton 

DEAL TOWN – Newcombe, Moore, Penny (Mark), Green, Smith, Munday, Ben Chapman (Coyne), Rory Smith (Reeves), Millbank (Alex Smith), Tom Chapman, Alford (Reeves) 

REFEREE – Mr Smith