2025 starts with a New Year’s Day Vanarama National League South derby between Maidstone United and Welling United.

After an indifferent start, the Stones have moved up the table and now sit in third place, just two points behind league leaders Torquay United. They have not lost a league game since a heavy defeat at home to Chelmsford City in early September and are now the form team. They have won their last five matches, their latest being a three-one win at Tonbridge Angels on Boxing Day.

George Fowler put the Stones ahead in the second minute but Liam Vincent levelled for Tonbridge in first half stoppage time. There was no further goalscoring until just under fifteen minutes remained when Aaron Blair put the visitors back ahead. As the Angels searched for another equaliser, they were caught out deep into additional time when substitute Matt Bentley added a third.

Rod Stringer’s Wings have not been having such a good time and after going four games unbeaten, they have lost their last two which has left them only one place above the bottom four, albeit with an eight point buffer.

Their Boxing Day match, at home to Chelmsford City, ended in disappointment for Welling. Having been the better team in the first half, the Wings were expected to push on after the break with the slope in their favour. However, there was no fluency in their play and they got caught out when conceding with five minutes remaining.

Although, Maidstone will start as heavy favourites, they will be mindful of the corresponding match last season when they were also expected to win comfortably. Fowler was quick off the mark in that game too, notching in just the fourth minute, but they couldn’t add a second to give them breathing space. 

After the break, Welling started to ask questions and were good value for their point, courtesy of a fine strike from Jack Munns with eighteen minutes remaining.

Both teams will be very keen to claim all three points, albeit for very different reasons.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.