Manager Steve King admits it has been a tough week at Deal Town.

Deal marked the death of director and fixture secretary Colin Adams ahead of Saturday’s win over Corinthian.

There was a minute’s silence at the Charles Sports Ground before the Hoops’ big Southern Counties East Premier Division game, which they edged 2-1.

Deal had announced the death of stalwart Adams, involved with the club for 49 years, last Friday.

King said: “It was a difficult week. It was a surprise and a shock for us all at the club.

“Although Colin had not been around in person much in the last couple of years, he still played an important role at the club. It was a massive win.

“It was a sad weekend but, from a footballing point of view, a very good one.”

King spoke to his players before the game about the importance of trying to get a victory to honour Adams’ memory and they did just that thanks to Aaron Millbank’s penalty and a late goal by Ben Chapman.

It extended their winning streak to five matches.

“We wanted to honour Colin’s memory and we spoke about that,” said King, whose side trailed at the break to an own goal by keeper Henry Newcombe from visiting skipper Jamie Billings’ free-kick.

“Also, as a group, we have had a difficult start to the season. We had another good crowd.

“Once the minute’s silence was done, it was down to the football and the boys focused on that fantastically.

“They probably edged it slightly in the first half. We didn’t get to our standards and they stifled us a bit.

“We were disappointed with the free-kick they scored from, it was a very soft free-kick.

“Second half, we got on top and, although the winner came late, we know Michael [Golding, Corinthian’s boss] and his staff are very experienced.

“They showed why they are up there but we managed to get across the line. Had they beaten us, they would have gone 12 points ahead of us and, as it is, the gap is six points.”

Midfielder Chapman put in a player-of-the-match performance on his 200th appearance for the club and headed home Jack Penny’s 87th-minute free-kick to win it in front of a crowd of 475.

“He has been outstanding for us,” King enthused.

“I said to the boys before the game, that’s 200 times he has put that shirt on and he’s put in 200 absolute shifts.

“It was fitting. But he’s such a team player he won’t even be thinking about that.

“He’s someone I really rate and he’s a real character.”

Chapman and fellow midfielder Billy Munday, as well as teenage defender Elliott Moore, netted in last Tuesday’s 3-1 victory away at Hollands & Blair.

Deal match-winner makes team-of-the-week

Moore is with Deal on a dual-registration agreement with Folkestone Invicta.

King said: “Elliott did well. It was a good goal.

“It’s been a little bit difficult for him, flipping between us and Folkestone. I felt a bit sorry for him at one point.

“He went to Folkestone and got a groin injury - and then we started winning without him!

“But he got a good goal on Tuesday and backed it up with another good performance on Saturday.”

Struggling Kennington visit Deal this Sunday (3pm), with the match being pushed back due to the GroundHop weekend where fans can take in a number of matches across the weekend with staggered kick-offs.

Ton are yet to play at home this term and will have gone nearly a fortnight without a competitive clash.

But King said: “That’s another really tough one.

“Anyone looking at the league table is a fool. They were drawing 1-1 at Faversham with less than 40 minutes left and they have not played at home yet.

“They’ve got a lot of good players and I will not be underestimating them.

“Hopefully, with it being GroundHop weekend, if the weather is good, that brings another really good crowd.”

Deal earned an 8-2 home win over Division 1 play-off Semi-Finalists Faversham Strike Force in the First Round of the Challenge Cup on Tuesday.

Captain Kane Smith, Munday, striker Connor Coyne and Kaeden Jeffreys bagged braces.