Greenie's Friday Preview - Can Whitstable cause a shock over Margate?

Another FA Cup weekend dawns on us this Friday as the anticipation here in Greenie Towers restores some of the faith that our great old game can still do it.

Perhaps its because it’s the Greatest Cup Competition in the World as once more we head down the Road to Wembley – the winners tomorrow are just two games from the First round Proper on November 11.

There’s two all kent derbies in the Second Qualifying round, and in the first of them Folkestone welcome Welling to Cheriton Road for a repeat of a Third Qualifying Round tie of a couple of seasons ago, which saw the two sides end 2-2 after extra time (and I still have no idea how Glen Knight the then Welling keeper played so well that night) with the Wings going through on penalties.

Tomorrow will be somewhat different though. Neil Cugley’s Folkestone are on the back of three wins in ten days to kick start their season whilst Adie Pennock’s Welling defend their incredible record at the seaside!

Welling just to remind you have not lost on a Saturday this season – they haven’t even dropped a point as the Wings have won ever single game they’ve played on a Saturday. Pennock’s side though tomorrow will concentrate on Cup matters and leave their sixth place in Conference South for another week.

It’s a close call but purely because it’s a Saturday, I think that the Wings should just about edge it, and calling all the action at Cheriton Road will be my Saturday Sport colleague Matt Gerrard.

The other Kent derby takes place at the Belmont and its where I will be together (not only with the editor in chief of your favourite Kent football website) but also with the Saturday Sport team to bring you uninterrupted full match commentary on Whitstable’s home tie with Margate.

It really is the case of the underdogs looking to get something out of the game as Marc Seager’s side have won ten of their eleven games so far this season, and are scoring goals for fun.

Robin Trott’s Margate on the other hand since they lost 1-6 at Boreham Wood have scored just once in five games – that said they haven’t conceded for three… It’s a fascinating cup tie on paper and I have this feeling that after their win in the last round against Division One South side Croydon Athletic, the Oystermen at home are going to prove a real test for Trott’s side.

Indeed as the Margate boss admitted when I quizzed him after Tuesday’s creditable goal less draw with leaders Bromley.

Having been in the underdogs shoes at the highest level (when he was playing for Stevenage against Newcastle a few years ago), Trott admitted that he hated being in the position of hot favourite!

All in all a Cup cracker to be looked forward and don’t forget to click on the Radio Kent website (www.bbc.co.uk/kent) and follow the directions… If you cant get there yourself, join me and the rest of our team at the Belmont from just before three… it could be something special!

Elsewhere in the Cup, there are six other ties involving Kent sides and you have to say that the three home sides are probably just about favourites to get through, whilst Ryman One South sides Dover (who of course lead the table at the moment) and Sittingbourne (who are currently sixth) both travel to face Conference South sides.

For Dover it’s a trip through the Dartford Tunnel to face Thurrock at Ship Lane, and after the home side took just 2 points from their first 8 matches, they’ve come into form of late by taking seven points from the last nine.

For Clive Walkers side, they’ll travel looking to secure their ninth win in a row in all competitions and keep their band wagon rolling. Mark my words the men from Crabble will be more than capable of forcing a replay – but will they?

Sittingbourne are the other travellers and they face a Fisher Athletic side who are currently 3 in the Conference South and will pose a real stern test for Steve Lovell’s young side.

If they can pull out their very best form they may be able to bring the Dockers back to Bourne Park. It really is a tough task for Lovell and his side, but that said it will show the manager just how far his side have come since their switch to the Ryman League at the end of last season.

Of the three sides at home, Jimmy Ward’s Ramsgate will be desperate to repeat their day out at Nuneaton in the First Round proper last season, and progress against Yeading from Conference South.

It will on paper at least be a shock if the Rams progress – after all the "Ding" are mid table in the South table.

Monday's win at Hendon would have done wonders for the Rams confidence, and if they can re find the wonderful Cup spirit they showed last season, another surprise could be on the cards at Southwood.

Meantime up at Hayes Lane, Cray Wanderers will be looking bounce back from the mauling by Fleet seven days ago by beating Leatherhead.

The visitors of course have a Cup pedigree after coming so very close to beating Leicester all those years ago with the "Leatherhead Lip", and more recently the Surrey side knocked Maidstone out of the competition a couple of seasons ago.

Cray Wanderers of course are the oldest club in the country never to have reached the competition Proper, and if there is any management team who can lift their team after last weekend’s disappointment, it is Ian Jenkins and Joe Francis from Cray!

Tonbridge boss Tony Dolby was frustrated the way his side handed Chelmsford a three goal head start on Monday night, but would have sort some relief the way that the Angels pegged two of the goal backs.

Anyhow that defeat leaves the Men from Longmead in third in the Ryman Premier table and tomorrow they welcome Banbury United from the Southern Premier League (I’m not going to give the league its new sponsored name as a if I do we’ll run out of space) to Longmead, and Dolby knows that this season is surely a great chance for Tonbridge to enjoy a Cup run, and lets face it home ties help no end in that respect. The Angels boss will be keen for top scorer John Main to again hit the target and inspire an Angels win.

Away from the Cup the top game undoubtedly is at Stonebridge Road, where Gravesend & Northfleet’s eight game unbeaten run will come under real scrutiny as second place Dagenham and Redbridge come a calling for a derby to boot.

Last weekend the Essex side crushed Weymouth – incidentally where the Fleet head next Wednesday form a date with the TV cameras; WEYMOUTH vs GRAVESEND AND NORTHFLEET live on Sky Sports; Wednesday from 7:30!

At the same time the Fleet had that remarkable game at St Albans, but a win is a win and the three points took Liam Daish’s side into sixth in the table.

Tomorrow though will be a huge test, and Daish will be hoping that his charges come up with as strong a performance as they did the last time an Essex side came a calling – that magnificent 2-0 drubbing of Grays a couple of weeks ago!

There are also four game sin the Ryman One South.

Dartford fresh from victory over Maidstone on Monday and securing Lew Watts' signature face a tough game at Croydon Athletic – but that said Athletic were beaten by Whitstable in the last round of the Cup, so with Tony Burman’s side determined to return to Princes Park in six weeks time still going strong in the league. The Darts for the record are fifth and Croydon are tenth.

Elsewhere, they’ll be new faces around the Maidstone squad for their home game with Molesey. Ryan Royston has resigned for the club, whilst Lee Shearer is an interesting signing as Shears can give an awful lot of options for the Stones – options that were lacking on Monday at Dartford. The visitors arrive ten places below the eighth placed Stones, and Lloyd Hume’s men will look to capitalise on their early Cup exit.

Chatham boss Phil Miles just needs some who can put the net as his side have lost too many game already by the odd goal and will be looking for his charges to respond as Burgess Hill come to Medway. I saw the Hillians in the Cup at Maidstone and they were very lethargic for too long and when they did eventually score.

Finally Ashford visit rock bottom Godalming with a great chance to extend their recent good run and put some more early season daylight between themselves and the rest.

So that’s it then – Good Luck to all kent sides involved in the FA Cup for this week and I’ll speak to you in seven days time

Cheers
Mike Green