Whitstable Town FC

Wells will need no additional motivation to raise their game after the 3-1 defeat at Culverden by the Oystermen just before the holiday. After which they bounced back to beat Sevenoaks away on boxing day. Away from league pressures they will be able to enjoy the day against a Town side whose only home defeat was to Ryman Premier League leaders Margate in the FA Cup. If our league match was anything to go by this should be a great game to watch, Wells played entertaining open football which produced an early lead which they held for 40 minutes before Town broke them down, they continued to fight to the final whistle and were unlucky to have a goal disallowed which may have changed the game. The winners will go on to meet either Southern Amateur League's West Wickham or our old KL rivals Hythe Town who meet at West Wickam's ground near Bromley.

Hythe will naturally be favourite at Corkscrew Hill, as were Herne Bay were in the previous round. Bay succumbed to a 3-1 defeat and evidently Hythe will have to treat the game seriously to progress to the semis. West Wickam, third in the SAL Division 1 behind Nottsborough and Old Owens (I know, who?), ought to be worried about conceding a shedfull of goals, but will no doubt enjoy their day regardless and may prove the harder to beat with nothing more to prove. £2 entrance including a programme can't be bad can it? Kick off 1.45 p.m. the smart money is on the Kent Leaguers.

In the other quarter finals Slade Green travel to British Energy Kent County League side Bearsted, and Sevenoaks Town host Beckenham Town. Slade Green beat the mighty Thamesmead on penalties to get to this stage while Bearsted beat Crockenhill, the Kent League side will be favourite being the 'Senior' side but home advantage can sometimes swing the result in these cup matches, another early kick off, 1.45 p.m. and probably another KL victory.

Beckenham against Sevenoaks will be a much more fascinating encounter, although Becks are six points ahead of them in the league, Oaks have three games in hand and may well reel them in through the coming months. League form not much use for a comparison then, and they haven't met in the league either. Becks head their group in the PDC competition and Oaks are at the bottom of theirs and on the strength of that alone I tip Beckenham to go through, don't lose sight of the fact that I'm pretty awful at cup predictions.

Beckenham and Whitstable were many peoples favourites for the KST final last season and both fell in the semis to a solitary goal, and that's cup football.

Another early kick off in the Kent League Premier match between Erith & Belvedere and Deal Town, I presume the floodlights are still to be repaired at Park View Road after the storm damage. Poor season by their own standards so far for both sides, currently 11th and 13th in the table. The Deres are eighteen points off the lead and Deal 22, with only seventeen matches left for each club I think the best they can hope for is mid-table respectability. Based on Deal's performance last weekend I think they can and should win this one.

The only other KL Premier match is at Salters Lane where Faversham take on VCD Athletic. Vickers beat their hosts two-nil at Oakwood in November, and they should repeat that trick on Saturday. Faversham seem to have lost momentum somewhat, on a quiet evening with a westerly breeze you can hear the fans frustrations blowing down the Swale, but seriously, they are struggling to string two results together. With only four wins from seven starts at home in the league they will do well to get anything from a journeyman side like VCD. I tip Vickers to go back to fourth spot.

For anyone finding themselves in Dartford on Saturday, you might drop in to watch WTFC Reserves play Darts reserves in a Division One match, else I'll see you on the terraces.

Wherever you watch your football, enjoy it to the full!