Victory for Deal Town at Merstham dented the hosts’ Isthmian League South East promotion aspirations.

Three Deal goals in a five minute spell from the hour mark turned the sometimes feisty game on its head, and the visitors went on to claim a well deserved three points.

Macca Murray had the first goal effort of the match when he fired over for the visitors after a corner was cleared into his path. At the other end Korrey Henry held it up well before laying it off for Ryan Healy, but he was also unable to keep his shot down.

Emmanuel Robe then turned his man well before speeding down the right hand side and cutting in but his low shot was blocked well by Deal goalkeeper Adam Molloy. The game continued to be end to end and Rob Tolfrey made an outstanding save to keep out a Tom Chapman shot that looked destined for the net.

In the twenty-fifth minute, the visitors went ahead. Jack Paxman slung over a diagonal cross that found Tom Chapman unmarked at the far post and he made no mistake with a clinical finish.

However, the hosts equalised straight from the restart. Finlay Johnson surged through the middle and the Deal defence backed off inviting the Moatsiders’ attacking midfielder to have a shot. He duly obliged and found the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Bradley Wilson sliced an effort wide for the hosts before a diagonal cross-shot from Murray at the other end had to be tipped over by a back-pedalling Palfrey.

As half time approached, a bad challenge by Healy caused a flare up which ended with four yellow cards being brandished including one for Merstham manager Jamie Decruz. There was still time for Merstham full-back Oliver Khinda to blast across the face of goal after getting into a good position before the first half ended.

After the interval, Lee Lewis smashed a free kick straight down Molloy’s throat before the hosts went ahead. Robe fired across goal for former Bromley and Welling United striker Henry to score his thirteenth league goal of the season with a close range finish.

Five minutes later, the scores were level again. Dean Gunner’s high boot caught Ben Chapman with the punishment of a penalty and yellow card. Murray stepped up and hit it accurately and powerfully to beat Palfrey who went the right way.

Jamie Kennedy, who had come on as a ninth minute substitute, then grabbed a quick fire brace. First Ben Chapman nicked it through to him and he slotted it home well. Then he hooked a clever pass to send Tom Chapman away down the right wing before racing into the penalty area to bundle it in at the near post.

Jack Penny tried to trick Palfrey with a sneaky free kick but the Merstham goalkeeper was alert and claimed it comfortably before the custodian was again called into action with a great diving save from Tom Chapman after he had intercepted a sloppy pass out.

Ife Oni tried an overhead kick for the Hoops but did not connect cleanly before their defence hurried Merstham substitute Aaron Jenkins into shooting wide.

That was as close as the hosts came to getting back into the game and Deal saw out the remaining minutes without further alarm.

Merstham: Tolfrey, Lewis, Khinda (Brown 77), Healy (King 73), Gunner (Shroll 66), Drage, McKillop, Wilson (Murphy 73), Robe, Henry, Johnson (Jenkins 79).

Subs not used: None.

Goal scorers: Johnson (26), Henry (55)

Yellow cards: Healy (44 foul), McKillop (44 ungentlemanly conduct), Decruz (44 dissent), Gunner (59 foul), King (90+2)

Deal Town: Molloy, Hammond (Wilkinson 75), Penny, Murray (K. Smith 89), Vincent, Page, Oni (A. Smith 79), Paxman, R. Smith (Kennedy 9 (Hatcher 83), B. Chapman, T. Chapman.

Unused subs: None.

Goal scorers: T, Chapman (25), Murray (60 pen), Kennedy (63), (65)

Yellow cards: Murray (44 ungentlemanly conduct), Vincent (48 foul), K. Smith (90+5)

Referee: Stephen Hawkes

Assistants: Ryan Hetherington and Philip Jones 

Attendance: 372