Dartford v Welling Sat 1 Nov 2025

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Dartford v Welling Sat 1 Nov 2025

Ground - The Bericote Powerhouse Princes Park, Grassbanks, (off Darenth Road), Dartford DA1 1RT

Dartford FC official sites:
Website: https://www.dartfordfc.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dartfordfc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DartfordFootballClub/
Radio: https://mixlr.com/dartsfc (if on air)

Directions: https://www.dartfordfc.com/directions-to-the-ground/

Tickets: https://dartfordfc.ktckts.com/event/dar ... ing-united

Unofficial sites:
https://puredfc.co.uk
https://thedarts.eu

Welling Utd
Website: https://www.wellingunited.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wellingunited
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellingunited/
Forum: https://wellingunited.activeboard.com/

Referee: Nicholas Dunn
Assistant Referee: Harvey Ransome
Assistant Referee: Jamie Wells

[Bagdhad Billy]

Had a brief look at our friends down the roads forum last night and they seem in a bit of a doom loop at the moment with everyone talking about a drop through the leagues and how bad the club is run etc apparently losing 7K a week?

Stringer back in charge and after a good win in his first game at Ramsgate the results have reverted back to normal with 2 defeats.

Apparently they have a dodgy keeper / defence and a striker who can’t score for toffee missing sitters etc so looking forward to a local derby with a good crowd and hopefully another 3 points in the bag.

COYD’s

[Grassbank]

I have to admit that I am disappointed that this match has just become an early winter Saturday fixture rather than a Christmas, New Year or Easter special. I guess that the fixtures are computer chosen and that distance pairing overrides local interests and history. Boxing Day away to Chatham hardly matches the appeal of a match against Welling and I expect that Welling fans see their Boxing Day match against Brentwood Town with a similar lack of enthusiasm.

That aside, after similar starts we are now creating momentum. Can we keep it going as the weather cools and the pitches become less predictable? The club is beginning to establish itself this season and with the defeat of a strong Cray Wanderers team on their plastic surface last weekend combined with the tremendous result of the ladies team in the FA Cup, the fans again have so much to look forward to.

Hopefully the crowd will be the right side of 1,500. Whilst there might not be a turkey waiting to be stuffed, it will still be a pleasure to turn our attention to the noisy local rivals from over the border in South-East London.

Come on you DARTS!

[tommytollbooth]

Welling do seem to be having problems on and off the pitch but they will raise their game when they play at Princes Park because they always do. I remember a few seasons ago when they unexpectedly stuffed us 3-2 in the FA Cup. So we mustn't take them lightly. Keep the league run going and get those 3 points.

[Ken Shabby]

Agree with Grassbank - this would be a great return fixture over Christmas or New Year. There's no especially rivalry with Chatham and these games would be much better attended that the games we'll actually get.
Having said that, we have come off a miserable run of form and it would be typical if the duff striker gets his only three goals of the season on saturday, while their keeper becomes the new Peter Bonetti for 90 minutes. I'd be annoyed with less than three points, but Welling will be up to get their season on track while putting a dent in ours. Gonna be tough.

[Lars Resort]

Blimey BB, you could have been talking about us a month ago. Dodgy keeper and defence. !!
The only thing that was a + for us is we were scoring.
Hopefully we have a bit of confidence all over the pitch now with a keeper getting the plaudits now.
I've said all along that if you have a good defence the rest follows. We just went about it the wrong way, but happily, touch wood, it seems to be knitting together.

[Bagdhad Billy]

Blimey BB, you could have been talking about us a month ago. Dodgy keeper and defence. !!
The only thing that was a + for us is we were scoring.
Hopefully we have a bit of confidence all over the pitch now with a keeper getting the plaudits now.
I've said all along that if you have a good defence the rest follows. We just went about it the wrong way, but happily, touch wood, it seems to be knitting together.

It’s odd that’s 2 seasons on the spin we have started badly and then taken off? We are a different team to the one that got pumped on day 1 of the season and the side that scraped a draw against Canvey who had lost every game, during the 2-2 draw with canvey I was thinking this is Bowers from last year all over again….

I have no doubt we will be challenging this year as we were last year after a few tweak however I hope it’s something that can be fixed for future seasons as I don’t think I can cope with our seasom only starting after a poor first 4-6 weeks lol.

I’ve watched Wellings highlights versus St Albans and honestly they looked the better side and should have got a result, just read one of their best players this year has been recalled by the gills so we will will see what welling side turns up on Saturday but I genuinely believe we should win even if we just scrape it.

[Park Life]

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/s ... by-331851/

Ady has no mixed emotions ahead of derby

Dartford boss Ady Pennock goes up against former.club this weekend - and he's hoping to clip Welling's wings!

Dartford manager Ady Pennock remembers spell as Welling United boss with fondness but victory over Wings is all that matters this weekend.

Dartford manager Ady Pennock is relishing this weekend’s local derby against Welling United.

Pennock takes charge against his former club as Darts boss for the first time at Princes Park on Saturday.

The Wings have struggled this season and arrive in the bottom four, two points adrift of safety under interim boss Rod Stringer.

“It’s a great game for everybody,” admitted Pennock. “I’ve got history with being the manager there before but I’m just after the three points.

“I love a derby and I’m sure there will be a good gate as well as they’ll bring a lot. Our supporters have been pleased with the last few weeks results-wise.

“The formbook goes out of the window, it’s all about the day, it’s a derby so it will be a passionate affair and I’m looking forward to it. It’s all about the three points for me, that’s all that matters.

“We know it’s going to be a difficult game because it’s a local derby. They’ll be up for it, we’ll be up for it and the fans will be up for it. I’m really looking forward to it for that reason.

“We’re at home and we’ve got to keep believing in ourselves and being positive. Anything can happen on the day but hopefully we can get the three points.”

Pennock spent two seasons as Welling boss from 2005 to 2007 before leaving to take an academy role at Stoke City. It’s a much-changed club now but he still looks back fondly on his first managerial role at Park View Road.

“It’s changed massively,” he said. “I had the Hobbins brothers in charge at the club and the likes of Piggy [Barry Hobbins] and Teddy [Steve Pain], I really enjoyed my time there. I was manager when Graham sadly passed away.

“It was a long time ago, all I’d say is that it was the start of my managerial career so we had some good times but that’s all forgotten come Saturday - although it was gone 18 years ago as I’m not someone who thinks it’s my old club and stuff like that!”

Dartford go into the game having moved into the top five of the Isthmian Premier for the first time this season with an excellent 2-0 win at Cray Wanderers last Saturday.

Pennock’s side are 10 league games unbeaten and have won their last three matches.

“It was a very good win at Cray as they were unbeaten at home,” said Pennock.

“I thought we controlled the game really well. Jonny Henly made a couple of good saves that you’d expect him to with them coming back at us a bit more in the second half.

“It was a very good away performance, there wasn’t any one individual that shone for me.”

Henly gave another assured performance for the Darts and Pennock insisted his form hasn’t been an area of concern after joining the club from Folkestone in the close season.

“He’s a very confident boy, he’s a goalkeeper and they’re all nutters anyway,” said Pennock. “He wears his heart on his sleeve, he’s great in the changing room and has been really good for us this season.

“Like every outfield player that has been new to us this season, he just had to settle in. I think he’s settled in lovely now, I really do.

“His performances over the last few games have been excellent and he’s shown his experience in most of the games that we’ve played.

“He did two good saves and if we were going to say before the game that he had to do that in 95 minutes then we’d have taken that.”

[Lars Resort]

Looking a bit wet and mucky Saturday

[Sleightly Deceptive]

Looking a bit wet and mucky Saturday

Perfect! (And Saturday night hopefully! )

[ozymandias]

Looking forward to the game where hopefully we continue with the winning trend.

[DA Mikey]

Ten unbeaten is very good. Not many teams will do that. Shame it’s sullied by the usual immediate cup exits, but there we are. Hope we carry the momentum into today - think Stringer has done fairly well at PP in the past; fingers crossed Luke Allen has one of his usual unremarkable performances too (kiss of death). Box to get back on the scoresheet today.

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[Bagdhad Billy]

COYD’s ! Weather is lovely looking forward to a really good game and 3points fingers crossed

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[Undercover Elephant]

Losing 1-0 keeper beat at the near post

[Lars Resort]

Slow at the back, getting caught out. Created nothing so far up front. Looking jaded.

[Lars Resort]

There's another goal in Welling , I'm sure. We are starting to put things together up front. Just a little bit more luck needed.

[Lars Resort]

Need to smarten up second half. They are no mugs. Keeper is playing well and Henley was beaten by a good goal. He has since saved us on a couple of occasions.
I just wish Samir would wake up

[Jonty]

There is a long way to go yet in this game. We have had the majority of the ball but our opponents look dangerous on the break. Their keeper is also having a blinder, making one exceptional save. Much harder than the one we conceded.