Vanarama National League South champions Ebbsfleet United visit Welling United in a league derby on Saturday.

While Warren Feeney’s Wings are still looking for the points needed to make themselves mathematically safe, they will not expect any favours from Ebbsfleet.

Their manager Dennis Kutrieb was at a recent Welling home game and will have his team ready for the challenge.

Since being doubled by Dartford over the Christmas period, the Fleet have lost just once, away to Braintree Town on Easter Monday, three days after clinching the title.

They bounced back from that by defeating Cheshunt three-nil at their Kufflink Stadium. Toby Edser put them ahead and they extended their lead eight minutes after the break through Greg Cundle. Luke O’Neil completed the scoring seven minutes later.

Their away record is fourteen wins, five draws, and three losses. The other away defeat was at Cheshunt in December.

It has been a very different season for Welling. They have won just six at home, drawn five and lost ten. However, that record looked far worse until they won their last two matches at Park View Road, defeating Bath City and Eastbourne Borough.

When the two teams met at Ebbsfleet earlier in the season, Kai McKenzie-Lyle’s late penalty save from Rakish Bingham earned the Wings a point despite being reduced to nine men.

Yaser Kasim put the Wings ahead but the complexion of the game was changed when Stefan Payne was dismissed.

Craig Tanner levelled in first half stoppage time and it got tougher for the Wings when James Dunne was shown a second yellow, but they defended stoutly and when McKenzie-Lyle made the penalty save, they were happy to claim a point.

They met again in the Kent Senior Cup Quarter Final, although on that day it was an Ebbsfleet XI versus a Welling XI with both teams playing a mixture of first team, fringe players and youngsters.

On that evening, Welling won three-two. However, they didn’t make that count as they lost the semi-final two-nil at Chatham Town.

There is likely to be a sizeable crowd so an early arrival at the ground is advisable.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.