Kevin Watson will put friendship on hold for 90 minutes when Maldon & Tiptree visit Maidstone Road.

Former Gillingham boss Mike Flanagan, who is caretaker manager with the Essex club, will be in the opposing dug-out for Saturday’s Ryman League Division 1 North game, while son Adam, an ex-Priestfield trainee, and a former team-mate of Watson’s at Folkestone, skippers the side.

Chats boss Watson (pictured) said: "I have known Adam for years, and they are both good friends of mine, but I won’t allow anything like that to get in the way of how we prepare for the game.

"Maldon were favourites to do well at the beginning of the season, but they didn’t really start too well, and have been trying to recover since.

"They are a much changed side since we beat them 1-0 up there on the opening day of the season."

Watson will be looking to bounce back quickly from last week’s 4-0 defeat at Leiston, but will be without striker Lloyd Blackman, who completes a two-game ban.

Watson added: "We need to improve on last week, and remember what we had done well in the previous games when we won three in a row."

Chats are dedicating Saturday’s match to the memory of Pat Binks, the wife of director of football Steve, and a great supporter of the club for many years. She died last weekend after a long illness.