Leiston visit Lowestoft looking for three points on New Years Day to start off their second half of the season and begin 2019 well. After their 1-1 draw with Royston Town on Saturday, the Blues are now 10th in the league table with Lowestoft the first of three successive away trips. Dominic Docherty and Robert Eagle remain on the sidelines, but Ashley Nicholls will be available for the game. After this match, Leiston head to Kings Lynn Town on Saturday before travelling to St Neots Town next Tuesday evening.

Lowestoft currently sit in 18th position, one point and two places above the drop zone. They drew 0-0 at St Ives Town on Saturday and recently beat Biggleswade Town, who sit in the play-offs, 2-1.

Leiston have enjoyed some tremendous battles with The Trawlerboys over the past few years. Last season, Leiston won 2-0 at Lowestoft while Lowestoft defeated Leiston at Victory Road. Lowestoft were established in 1887 by a merger of East Suffolk and the original Kirkley, but were renamed Lowestoft Town in 1890. They reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup in 1900, losing 5-1 to Bishop Auckland. They reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time in 1926-27, losing 10-1 to Watford. They won the Ridgeons Premier Division title in 2005-2006, while they lost 2-1 to Kirkham & Wesham in the 2008 FA Vase final. The next season they won the Ridgeons Premier Division and won promotion to the Ryman Division One North. They were champions in their first ever season and moved up to the Ryman Premier Division. They lost in three successive play-off finals on the bounce, but eventually won promotion to the National League North in 2014 at the fourth time of asking, beating AFC Hornchurch 3-0. After finishing mid table in their first season, they were relegated on the last day of the 2015-2016 season, but defeated Leiston 3-1 in the Suffolk Premier Cup final. They have been in the Ryman/BOSTIK Premier Division in the last two seasons, before moving over with Leiston and Needham Market to the Southern League at the start of this season.