Derek Hares is resigned to another weekend of inactivity as the weather continues to frustrate Deal’s Bulmers Cider Kent League Premier Division campaign.

Hares expects Saturday’s hastily-arranged home league clash against Sporting Bengal to fall foul of the weather while Tuesday’s scheduled League Cup quarter-final at Sevenoaks is almost certain to be off as Oaks must face Milton & Fulston in the Kent Senior Trophy at the earliest opportunity.

Hares said: "I can’t see any games being on this weekend and if that is the case, then it will be four weeks without a game for us."

"We have got a couple of one-game suspensions that will have dragged on for the best part of a month."

Deal kept three clean sheets in a row after the 6-4 defeat at Sporting Bengal on November 7, when Town were 3-1 up at the break and 4-3 ahead with little over 10 minutes remaining.

Hares added: "The most frustrating thing about all this is that we have lost momentum. We had a good run going and we wanted to keep it up."