On Tuesday evening Phoenix Sports host Welling United in a Quarter Final of the Kent Senior Cup at the Christopher Russell Stadium, Barnehurst.
At present, Darren Anslow’s Phoenix are bottom of the table on seven points, nine adrift of safety. They have lost their last three matches but put they are not taking heavy defeats.
On Saturday they visited Deal Town and went ahead five minutes before half time through Isaac Thompson but went in at level at the break as Tom Chapman equalised two minutes later.
On the hour mark, Rory Smith put the hosts ahead but the Sports remained in the game despite having two players dismissed.
Rod Stringer’s Wings, will consider it to be a welcome return to action as they haven’t played a match since visiting Aveley on Friday 29th November. That match ended in a one-all draw thanks to Elliott Long’s deserved equaliser two minutes from time. The draw kept them six points clear of their hosts who occupy fourth from bottom place in the table.
In the first round of the Kent Senior Cup, Phoenix won at Folkestone Invicta after a penalty shoot-out. Joe Thomas put the Sports ahead in the eleventh minute but the hosts levelled midway through the second half to take the game to sudden death and Phoenix won it five-four.
Then they won at Cray Wanderers, again on penalties, having twice come from behind through goals by Richard Pingling and Marcus Elliott. This shoot-out was won six-five.
For Welling, they had a bye in the first round and then had to overcome Maidstone United. Neither side put out their strongest elevens but the Wings probably had more first team players starting than their guests.
Riley Court opened the scoring for the Stones shortly before the half hour mark, however, Mitchel Bergkamp equalised five minutes into the second half. Nine minutes later, Zain Walker put Welling ahead and that proved sufficient to see Welling through.
Although both managers will be more concerned about winning league points, neither has a massive pool from which to select so it is likely that the two teams will consist of a mixture of fringe squad and first team players.