Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division football returns to Barnehurst this evening when Phoenix Sports host Tunbridge Wells.

Following relegation last season, Darren Anslow’s Phoenix are settling back into the league and have won five points in five games. They have also eased into the second qualifying round of the FA Vase after knocking out Lancing in the previous round. Tunbridge Wells go into the game in fifth place with nine points from six games.

On Saturday, the Sports fell to a three-two lead at early season pace setters, Sutton Athletic. They were two down to goals either side of half time scored by Conor Evans and Reggie Rye but pulled back to level through Ahkeem Belford and a Lyle Della-Verde penalty. Taylor Fisher scored what turned out to be the winner for Sutton twenty minutes from time.

Meanwhile, Wells were putting Punjab United to the sword after travelling to Gravesend. D’Armando Lawrence put Wells ahead in the sixth minute, and followed up with a second ten minutes later.

They were well in command when Jonathan Shea added the third midway through the first period. Although Roman Campbell pulled one back from the spot just shy of the hour mark, Lawrence completed his hat-trick with eleven minutes remaining to allow the visitors to see the game out in comfort.

Although there was no meeting between the two teams last season, due to them being in different divisions, they know each other well from many tussles over the years and both will be keen to put three points on the board.

Picture supplied by Dave Budden.