On Tuesday evening, Welling United host Folkestone Invicta in an Isthmian League Premier Velocity Cup match.

Ordinarily, this match would be considered to be low key as the visitors are more concerned with consolidating their lead at the top of the Premier Division while the Wings are desperate for points to try and get out of the relegation dog fight.

However, this one has more interest as it will be the first chance for Welling’s new manager, Ryan Maxwell, to look at the players that he has inherited.

On Saturday, he oversaw his Sittingbourne team for the last time as they played Ebbsfleet United in the FA Trophy and only went out through a penalty shoot-out.

While that was going on, Welling’s last game under interim manager Rod Stringer ended in a two-nil defeat that could have been heavier. They went behind in the fourth minute to a goal by Harry Waldock and they conceded again, thirty minutes later, to a goal by Alex Hernandez. Hernandez then had a penalty saved by Freddie Norman and Josh Williams hit the bar in the second half.

Meanwhile, Folkestone’s FA Trophy run was ended at home to AFC Totton. All looked good when Jake Hutchinson gave the hosts the lead just shy of the half hour mark however, Malachi Linton levelled nine minutes later. It appeared that the game was heading for penalties until Scott Rendell won it for the Hampshire based team with three minutes remaining.

This will be the second game between the two clubs in a fortnight as Welling hosted Folkestone in a league game on the evening before Bonfire Night.

On that occasion, the visitors recorded a routine three-nil victory. Dean Rance gave them a seventeenth minute lead and once Mikey Berry scored with just under twenty minutes remaining, the contest was over. Joe Pigott put the icing on the cake for them inside the closing ten minutes.

Jay Saunders has confirmed that he will be resting his first team players and that it will be an academy side with coaches Richard Styles and Kevin Brown who will participate in this fixture.

Maxwell does not have the luxury of having an academy, however, he will probably want to have a first hand look at his players ahead of their trip to Billericay Town on Saturday, regardless of the stature of the competition. 

Picture supplied by Chris Zimmerman.