On Boxing Day Welling United hosted Dover Athletic at Park View Road. The two teams meet again, this time at the Crabble, one week later on 2^nd January.

Dover took the honours in the first meeting with a 2-1 victory. The scoreline could have been a lot heavier had it not been for an inspired performance by Welling United goalkeeper Mike McEntegart.

Ricky Modeste put Dover ahead, taking full advantage of a collission between Welling defenders Ben Jefford and Kevin Lokko which resulted in the latter going off injured.

McEntegart then kept out everything thrown at him until Nicky Deverdics gave Dover some breathing space in the second half.

Barney Williams’ diving header in injury time came out off the underside of the bar to deny Welling a goal in injury time and Sam Corne’s goal a minute later proved no more than a consolation.

Both teams should have been in action again on Monday but a waterlogged Braintree Town pitch meant that Welling had to sit the day out.

However there were no such problems on the south coast where Dover played a tempestuous game at the Crabble against Bromley. All looked good for the Whites when Ricky Miller put them ahead in the eighth minute but the sending off of Stefan Payne in the 28^th minute changed the course of the game.

Adam Cunnington’s first goal for the Ravens levelled the score before half time. Jack Holland put the visitors ahead 20 minutes into the second half but Miller equalised for Dover six minutes later.

Reece Prestedge won the game for the visitors with eleven minutes remaining although Dover had a massive shout for a penalty as the clock ran down.

Payne’s dismissal means that he will be suspended for the game with Welling on Saturday.

He won’t be the only absentee from the teams that played at Park View Road. It is unlikely that either Lokko or his replacement, Zach Fagan, will be fit to return having both gone off in the first half last week.

Their reasons might be different, but both teams will be keen to claim the three points to start the new year off in style.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.