Kent County League
The Leckie Family Cup 2nd Round
Saturday 24th October 2026
Kick Off 14.15 Actual 14.16
Barming 5 Deal Town Youth 4, attendance 8
20’ 1-0
26’ 1-1
32’ 2-1
38’ 3-1
47’ 4-1
50’ 4-2
51’ 5-2
59’ 5-3
70’ 5-4
@ The Maplesden Noakes School, 3G Pitch
Buckland Road
Maidstone
ME16 0TJ
No Admission or Programme.
By 10.30 I’d lost my first three choices of games on grass pitches, so opted for a 3G instead. This one is one of those dreadful cages with no spectator access inside the fence, but unlike the majority of those, you can actually watch the game from a raised area behind one goal end, which has very little in the way of obstructions, apart from the top foot or so of the fence when the ball was in the near right corner. Unless you’re a completist, I wouldn’t recommend coming here, as there’s nothing to offer bar ticking it off a list! I really can’t see why these grounds are accepted in hosting competitive football and it certainly doesn’t give a good impression for a county league to allow such venues to be used.
Anyway, onto the match. These two are both in Division 2 East of the league, with 4th (won all six league matches played so far) hosting 6th as far as league positions go. It turned out to be an excellent game, where both sides opted for all out attack from start to finish. Barming took a twentieth minute lead, following in an initial effort that had struck the crossbar. Deal levelled six minutes later, rounding the ‘keeper after winning the race to a ball over the top and thought they’d doubled their lead a couple of minutes later, but the effort was ruled out for offside. The hosts took full advantage and went back in front minutes later, sliding in to poke in a cross from the right at the far post. An angled shot into the far corner saw them extend their lead to 3-1 just before the break. Two minutes into the second half a 20 yarder into the top corner made it 4-1. Deal tapped in a rebound, following a 20 yarder that was saved by the ‘keeper, to make it 4-2, but conceded again within a minute to see Barming restore their three goal lead. An angled shot into the far corner saw Deal pull it back to 5-3 just before the hour mark and with twenty minutes left they scored again to make for an interesting finish, but they couldn’t force an equaliser.
It was a trouble free forty five minute drive each way. It rained throughout the match, with very wet roads coming back and the spray on the M25 stretch made for horrendous driving conditions.
