Blues 1 Lowestoft Town 2

The Blues left themselves with it all to do on the final day of the season after they were defeated 2-1 at home by Lowestoft Town in a MATCH SPONSORED BY SEA SPICE. Conor Hubble scored the only goal deep into injury time for Leiston, but it was too little too late after two late goals from Jake Reed and Nico Cotton had put the Trawlerboys in control writes Ollie Fairs.

There was very little in the way of chances and attacking action in the first half with both teams cancelling each other out. It was a very scrappy game with plenty of hard hitting tackles across the pitch. Lowestoft made the better start between the two teams and for the first 10 minutes they dominated the game, but failed to make their dominance count as they struggled to create any meaningful chances. Leiston then began to play their way into the game and made things much more even as they looked to take the patient approach while Lowestoft looked dangerous on the counter. The only real clear cut chance of the first half came the way of Lowestoft when a ball was cut back to Shaun Bammant but he put his shot high over the bar from just 6 yards out. Other than that, there were very few opportunities worth noting as the two sides went into the break level.

The Blues almost made the perfect start to the second half when Joe Marsden fizzed a ball into Gareth Heath who flicked the ball towards goal but it crept just past the post. The game then slowed down for a period of time and both teams once again failed to create many chances. The referee was certainly being put through his paces as there were several fouls and bookings going to players on both teams and it appeared tempers might get the best of a few players but they managed to keep everything within the laws of the game. Leiston then came agonisingly close to taking the lead late on in the half when Conor Hubble controlled the ball in the box before turning and shooting but his shot rolled just inches passed the post and Matt Blake could not quite get a toe onto the ball to tap it home. With just 4 minutes of regulation time to play Lowestoft scored the opening goal courtesy of Jake Reed. Bammant played a ball in behind to Reed who charged down upon the Leiston goal before coolly lifting the ball across goal, leaving it to settle in the back of the net. Things went from bad to worse for Leiston when Reed made his way into the box before being brought down by Adeyinka Cole who gave the referee no option but to point at the spot. Nico Cotton stepped up to take the penalty and even though Ashlee Jones guessed the right way he was left without a chance as the ball went in off the post, doubling the Trawlerboy’s lead after 89 minutes. The Blues managed to score a consolation goal late on when a ball into the box was headed down to Conor Hubble who rifled the ball in off the late post. However, with the goal being timed on 94 minutes it was far too late for Leiston to stage a late comeback as they left themselves with it all to do on the final game of the season at Enfield Town in their race for the playoffs.

FT - Blues 1 Lowestoft Town 2

Blues - Jones, Brown (Marsden 42 mins), Dunbar, Cole, Jefford, Bullard, Ainsley, Heath, Blake, Muir-Merchant, Francis (Hubble 72 mins). Subs not used - Pelling, Hutchings and Beckwith.

Lowestoft Town - Jessup, Barker, Smith, Fisk, McAuley, Blake-Tracy, Henderson (Glover 90 mins), Jarvis, Reed (Forshaw 90 mins), Bammant, Cotton. Subs not used - Docherty and Bishop.

Match Sponsors SEA SPICE Man of the Match - Tom Bullard

Attendance - 513