Teams in sixteenth and eighteenth place in the Vanarama National league South meet on Good Friday at the Crabble when Dover Athletic host Welling United.

At present the hosts are two points ahead of their guests with both teams having six games left to play. Although there is a six point buffer between Welling and the bottom four, neither they nor Dover are guaranteed safety and both will be looking to get to the fifty point mark, and beyond, as quickly as possible.

Last Saturday, the Whites claimed an outstanding three-one victory at promotion chasing Braintree Town. Luke Wanadio put the visitors ahead but Braintree levelled through Alfie Matthews just before half time.

Brandon Pierrick restored Dover’s lead with seventeen minutes remaining and Wanadio made the game safe when following up to net after Jack Sims had pushed out his penalty.

That win enabled the Whites to leapfrog Welling whose game with Hampton and Richmond Borough was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. They were pushed down a further place on Tuesday when Taunton Town defeated Concord Rangers.

When the two teams met at Park View Road back in October, the spoils were shared. Manny Parry put the Wings ahead with fourteen minutes remaining, but five minutes later Chike Kandi finished well to ensure parity.

This will be the first league meeting between the two clubs in Dover since March 2016 when both were in the National League. Michael Bakare put Welling ahead in the second minute but Stefan Payne, now a Welling player, levelled midway through the first half. Sean Raggett scored Dover’s winner six minutes into the second half.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.