Two teams with promotion ambitions meet when Chatham Town host Welling United in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Coming into the match, the Wings occupy second place in the table with twenty-seven points from twelve matches, one point behind leaders Enfield Town. Chatham are in tenth spot having accumulated eighteen points from one game fewer. Should they win their games in hand, they would also be in the top seven.

They visited Dulwich Hamlet on Tuesday evening and came away with an impressive four-nil victory. Kola Salami and Dapo Olugpodi gave them a two goal half time lead and Tolu Ladapo added a third goal eleven minutes into the second period before Salami scored again with three minutes left on the clock.

Due to Leatherhead having a cup replay, Welling didn’t have a midweek match. Their last outing was last Saturday when they hosted Burgess Hill Town and beat them four-two. Fumnaya Shomotun gave them a half time lead. He then added a brilliant solo goal on the hour mark. Burgess Hill pulled one back before Lekan Majoyegbe and Nahum Melvin-Lambert scored two in three minutes and the visitors’ late goal was no more than a consolation.

When the Chats hosted Welling last season, they enjoyed a three-one success. Tope Fadahunsi put them ahead approaching the half hour mark before Dean Gunner equalised nine minutes before half time. Both managers’ half time team talks had to be adjusted when Nile Ranger put the hosts back ahead in the third minute of stoppage time. There was no further scoring until Chatham rounded it off by adding a third through Reece Butler with ten minutes remaining.

Both teams are much changed and only eleven, out of the thirty-two players involved in February, took part in the respective clubs’ most recent outings. Chats’ manager Kevin Hake and his counterpart, Ryan Maxwell, have built teams to challenge so will have been planning all week by the time that the sides kick off.

Chatham Town image courtesy of Chatham Town FC, Welling United image courtesy of Chris Zimmerman