Match Preview

BLUES v KETTERING TOWN - MATCH PREVIEW

Match Information
Leiston v Kettering Town
Pitching In Southern League Central Premier
7.45pm kick off
Watson & Hillhouse Stadium, Victory Road, Leiston, IP16 4DQ
Tel: - 01728 830308.

Admission Prices
Adults £12
Concessions £9 (over 65’s)
Students (with ID) £7
U16’s £3
U5’s FREE

Printed Programme for £2.

Members Bar and Main Hall (Bar) both open from 6pm.

Refreshments available throughout the day with the snack hatch also open near the club shop.

Car Parking in the main club.

Match Sponsor: - Opergy Group.

Game 12/42.

Leiston host Kettering Town tomorrow afternoon for their first league game in 24 days in the Pitching In Southern League Central Premier.

In that time, Leiston have progressed into the First Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy after beating Hornchurch on penalties 9-8, with the game finishing 1-1 after normal time. The side has also reached the semi-finals of the Endeavour Automotive Group Suffolk Premier Cup after overcoming a tough quarter-final game at Crown Meadow. Once again the Blues won on spot kicks, this time 5-4, after the game ended 1-1 after ninety minutes.

Blues captain Seb Dunbar said over the weekend: -

“It’s been a tough couple of weeks for us as a team because we have had constant injuries. We have had players returning from injury, who are lacking match fitness and then more players getting injured. It’s been a very unsettled team but I think we have been brilliant the way we have gone about things. The last two games we have shown a resilience and togetherness which has got us through to win both ties and we hope we can continue it. They haven’t been our prettiest of performances but when you’re having the luck we are currently, you can only take away the positives. Tuesday will be a good game for us under the lights and at home again against Kettering Town. We haven’t lost in four games now in all competitions so we need to keep that run going. I think we are missing nine first team players through injury but I’m still confident we can go and get three points with the players who are available.”

Leiston and Kettering are near the lower reaches of the table at present, with Leiston in 17th place and Kettering in 20th position. Although Kettering are third from bottom, they reached the FA Cup 4th Round Qualifying stage beating Hullbridge, Sporting Khalsa and Hitchin Town (all 1-0) before losing 5-0 at Chesterfield in the last round.

The sides have met before, in the 2018/2019 campaign. Leiston won the first match at Kettering 2-1 with Dominic Docherty on the scoresheet and a late Patrick Brothers goal helping Leiston to three points in September 2018. Back in the return game in March 2019 though, Kettering scored with virtually the last kick of the match to win 1-0 and sealed their promotion two weeks later in the process, winning the title and being promoted to the National League North.

Fun Fact: - Kettering have scored the most ever goals in the FA Cup, netting 912.

Form Guide: -

(League only): -

Leiston: - WDLDL

Kettering Town: - LDDWD.

Other games in the Pitching In Southern League Central Premier tomorrow evening: -

AFC Telford United v Alvechurch
Berkhamstead v Stratford Town
Leamington v Stourbridge
LEISTON v KETTERING TOWN
Long Eaton United v Coalville Town
Mickleover v Redditch United
Nuneaton Borough v Bromsgrove Sporting
Stamford v Needham Market.

The U23’s head to Whitton United in league action tomorrow night. It will be their first league game for four and a half weeks as they have played two Suffolk Senior Cup ties in their last two games, defeating Brandon Town and Claydon (both at home and by 2-1 score lines). The U23’s are fourth from bottom but have games in hand over teams around them. Whitton are currently a place below the U23’s as their goal difference in worse than Leiston’s but they have played three games more.
The side finish October with a home game on Saturday against Stanway Pegasus.

Game in the Thurlow Nunn First Division North on Tuesday evening: -

Diss Town v Norwich CBS
Stanway Pegasus v Harwich & Parkeston
WHITTON UNITED v LEISTON U23’s