Blues 0 Kingstonian 1

Just a single point now seperates these two sides after a slice of luck saw Kingstonian inflict a sixth home defeat on Richard Wilkins’ side. With the game evenly poised but Leiston asking the more telling questions, Dan Sweeney thrashed a shot that looked to be going wide but his shot struck the unfortunate Blake Saker, wrong footing Danny Gay in the home goal ten minutes into the second half. Up to this point Leiston were pressing hard for the opening goal after spending nearly all the opening half camped in the visitors half. Hard working striker Darren Mills was certainly in the thick of the action in the opening quarter of an hour. First being denied by Tolfrey from an acrobatic half volley and then sliding an effort agonisingly wide after some clever play from Joe Francis. Play was then held up as Casey suffered a nasty head injury and unable to continue and upon the resumption the game took a while to gain any momentum. Midway through the first half the home side had the ball in the net after a clinical counter attack but Winter was flagged offside heading home Heath’s half volley. It looked a close call and while Kingstonian struggled to make any inroads Leiston ended the half with two efforts from Heath and Winter that were wide of the mark.

The second half was only ten minutes old when what proved to be the winning goal arrived as a right wing corner ended up at the feet of Sweeney who cut inside before firing an effort that took a huge deflection off Saker before racing into the home goal. The goal lifted Kingstonian and moments later Gay punched clear a cross as far as Butterworth whose instinctive lob landed on the roof of the net. Goalscorer Sweeney then tried his luck from distance with Gay having to turn his swerving effort away for a corner. Back came Leiston and a fine block from Tolfrey denied leading scorer Heath as he skipped around defenders to create the opening before good shouts for a penalty were turned away as Francis went down in the box after controlling a Saker cross but Referee Block was unmoved. Mayhew blazed high over the bar while some excellent defending denied Francis and then Saker from a Mills cross with the last action of the game saw Bullard blaze wide from a neat Mayhew set up. In the end Kingstonian defended stoutly and held off the spirited hosts to throw themselves back into the mix for the play offs and while Leiston played well and certainly deserved something from the game, that little bit of luck was with the visitors today.

FT - Blues 0 Kingstonian 1

Blues – Gay, Saker, Boardley, Merritt, Jefford, Bullard, Winter (Mayhew 69 mins), Heath, Mills, Brothers, Francis. Subs not used – Block, Mitchell and Rossis.

Kingstonian – Tolfrey, Goode, Webb, Sweeney, Page, Inns, Hudson, Laidler, Hammond, Penny (Pico Gomez 58 mins), Casey (Butterworth 17 mins, Addai 88 mins).

Goals - Blake Saker own goal 55 mins (Kingstonian)

EDF Energy Man of the Match - Gareth Heath

Attendance – 174