Clubs from North and South Kent meet when Welling United host Dover Athletic in a midweek Vanarama National League South fixture tonight.

Currently, Welling are fifth in the league, and Dover fifteenth, but it’s still early in the season so should the visitors win, there will only be four points between them.

On Saturday, Welling conceded a late equaliser at home to second placed Havant and Waterlooville. They twice held the lead through goals scored by Ade Azeez and Taylor Maloney, but the spoils were shared at the end of a pulsating game.

The draw extended the Wings’ unbeaten run to six league and cup games, and one defeat in nine.

Andy Hessenthaler’s Dover claimed their third win of the season, and first away victory, when winning at Weymouth two-nil. Jordan Higgs put them ahead with fifteen minutes remaining, and one time Wing, Luke Wanadio made sure of the points with a second goal four minutes later.

There has not been a meeting at Park View Road between the two clubs since December 2015 in Welling’s final season in the National League. Ricky Modeste gave the Whites an early lead and Nicky Deverdics scored a second midway through the second half. Sam Corne pulled one back in the final minute, but it was no more than a consolation.

Whether this truly represents a derby is a moot point with the clubs nearly sixty miles apart, but with both clubs governed by the Kent F.A. there may be a little more edge than in a normal Tuesday night game.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.