Boxing Day Football means local derby football and this season’s clash between Welling United and Dartford will have some extra spice.

Steve King guided Welling United to third place in the Vanarama National League South last season and his team was beaten by the only goal in the play-off final at second placed Woking so missed out on promotion. However, during the summer, he and Wings owner Mark Goldberg decided to part ways.

Meanwhile, Dartford were struggling under Adam Flanagan and Jamie Coyle and took action by letting them go and bringing in a new manager, free agent King. Since then, their results have been inconsistent but they have started to climb the table and there is little to choose between the clubs as far as league placings are concerned.

Coming into the game, Dartford are in thirteenth place whilst Welling are three places behind having claimed two points fewer but having played one game less.

Hosts, Welling, have a decent home record having won five, drawn two and lost four however the Darts have been better on the road with four wins, two draws and five defeats. On Saturday, Welling had a free afternoon as their game at Wealdstone fell victim. Dartford did manage to get their game on at Princes Park, but were beaten one-nil by Concord Rangers courtesy of Joel Nouble’s spot-kick. The Darts had missed a penalty of their own earlier when Elliott Romain’s effort came back off the post.

An extra cause of intrigue comes from the fact that last week King managed to lure Sanchez Ming from Park View Road to sign for the Darts to replace another former Wing, Jordan Gibbons who has now left the club.

Ming (and Romain) are amongst several former Welling players who are now at Dartford. From their team from Saturday, Josh Hill, Luke Wanadio and substitute Ky Marsh-Brown are former Wings as are the injured Arnaud Mendy, Andy Pugh and Charlie Sheringham. Only Nathan Green from the current Welling squad has played in the white shirts and black shorts of Dartford.

When the two teams met at Park View Road last season, the Wings claimed all three points in a routine victory with goals seven points before half time and another seven minutes before full time. Hill, wearing the red of Welling, scored the goal in the first period and Danny Mills settled any nerves that Welling might have had as the game drew to a close.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.