Welling United manager Adrian Pennock celebrates his first anniversary at Park View Road next month - and is pleased with their start to this season, writes Stephen McCartney. The Wings are currently in third place in the Nationwide Conference South table and reached the first round proper of the FA Cup, where they lost 4-1 at League One promotion hopefuls Huddersfield Town in November. And they booked a trip to Blyth Spartans in the second round proper of the FA Trophy on Saturday, 14th January 2006 following their comfortable 4-1 win over Redbridge on Sunday. Oh yes, the Wings are also in the last eight of the Kent Senior Cup (where they'll entertain local rivals Bromley) and Pennock takes his side to Ryman League Division One side Croydon Athletic in the London Senior Cup tonight. "We've had an excellent start to the season," Ipswich born Pennock told www.kentishfootball.co.uk "The first half of the season has been excellent.  We're third in the league, had an excellent cup run, making some money for the club. "The boys had a great FA Cup run and now we're in the second round of the FA Trophy. "That's the first half of the season so we can't complain.  It's been a great start and let's hope the second half of the season is as good or even better." No doubt Pennock will play a youthful squad at Croydon Athletic tonight, a side that impressed when they defeated Southern League Division One East outfit Chatham Town 3-1 in the first round of the Kent Senior Cup earlier in the month. And who can blame him?  The Wings have bigger fish to fry over the festive period, against Thurrock (26th December, 3pm) and Sutton United (31st December, 2pm) at Park View Road before trips to Thurrock (3rd January, 7:45pm) and St Albans City (7th January). "We want to win every game be it home and away," insisted Pennock. "It's important because looking on the other foot if we lose two or three games over Christmas we could be in the bottom half - it's very tight in the league it's unbelievable. "But we've got good opportunities here against Sutton and Thurrock, we've got a decent chance of getting points but Thurrock are coming good and Sutton have had a good start to the season and were top of the league earlier," he warned. "It's a boring old cliché - there are no easy games here in this league.   "We have to give it our all and I know for a fact every single one of my players will give it 110%." But the former Gillingham star, whose picked up two Nationwide Conference South manager of the month awards so far this season, thanked his assistant Phil Handford for his efforts. And reflecting on his first year in charge at Park View Road, Pennock said: "It's been a year since I've been here in January and I've really enjoyed it. "When I first took over it was hard to get people in and out but it's a good, decent club and the supporters have been absolutely fantastic since I've been here and I can't thank them enough. "The supporters have been absolutely fantastic to me and to Phil (Handford). "I've got to give Phil loads of credit as well because he knows his non-league football and I can't praise him enough." Looking ahead to their trip to Croydon Athletic, Pennock added: "We've got injuries so there will be some young kids playing just because the squad is not big enough. "I've got no trouble playing the kids as they were decent against Chatham Town here." And Bromley supporters are relishing their trip to Park View Road in the quarter finals of the Kent Senior Cup - and Pennock is too. "We've played Bromley pre-season and they gave us a very good test," he said. "A very hard test but I look forward to win every game, albeit the Kent (Senior) Cup, London (Senior) Cup, FA Cup, FA Trophy or League game. "I just want to enjoy every game and win every game we play in." Croydon Athletic v Welling United London Senior Cup Third Round Tuesday 20th December 2005 Kick Off 7:45pm at Mayfields, off Mayfields Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey CR7 0JB