Woodbridge Town 1-3 Leiston - Suffolk Premier Cup Match Report

The Blues made it through to the quarter-finals of the Suffolk Premier Cup on Wednesday evening after a first victory of the season in all competitions against Woodbridge Town at Nottcutts Park.

Mason Sinclair started for Leiston while Josh Hitter came back into the squad to take his place on the bench for the Blues.

Leiston started the match well and were awarded a penalty in the third minute when Will Davies was fouled in the penalty area by home skipper Sean Rea and captain Rob Eagle stepped up to put the spot kick into Ben Maidens bottom right hand corner. Moments later, Eagle lobbed Maidens but the ball went over the crossbar, albeit he was flagged offside. A lot of the early play was played in the middle of the park with clear cut chances hard to come by. Good play once again by Eagle allowed Rhys Henry and attempt at an angle but Woodbridge cleared the danger. Nathan Read then shot wide for Woodbridge with their first shot on goal in the tie. Leiston doubled their lead in the 35th minute. Good interlink play by Rob Eagle and Kyle Hammond on the right flank allowed Rhys Henry to float into the penalty area and strike past Maidens. Just before the interval, Will Davies did well on the left and squared to Mason Sinclair who curled his effort just wide of Maidens left hand upright.

Rob Eagle was replaced by Josh Hitter at half time before Josh Cheetham had to go off six minutes into the second period and Jerry Kamanzi took his place. Jake Rudge’s good strike on the edge of the box was palmed away by Charlie Beckwith in the Blues goal and Read ballooned the follow up well over the bar as Woodbridge tried a path back into the game. Josh Hitter went close for Leiston when his audacious overhead kick thudded against the crossbar, however, it was Leiston who got the all important third goal and it came in the 61st minute. Once more, good work by Davies on the left saw him cross for Rhys Henry and he volleyed home past a stranded Maidens to effectively kill the game off. Woodbridge then had a lot of the ball in the middle of the Park with Leiston playing on the counter attack. In the 78th minute, the ‘Woodpeckers pulled a goal back when Leiston didn’t deal with a corner and Jake Rudge smashed home the ball from close range. Woodbridge though didn’t really threaten for another goal and chances for both sides were limited in the closing moments of the contest. Leiston did fend off any fightback as they look to win the Suffolk Premier Cup for a third season in a row.

They join Walsham le Willows, Hadleigh United, Brantham Athletic, Stowmarket Town, Bury Town, Lowestoft Town and Needham Market in the quarter-final draw which takes place this Saturday on BBC Radio Suffolk between 5.30pm and 6pm.

The Blues can now look forward to a trip to Barwell on Saturday in the BetVictor Southern League Central Premier.

Line-ups: -

Woodbridge Town: - Maidens, Murrell, Hammond, Garnham, Southgate, Rea, Read (Smedley 72 mins), Trotter, Ray (Haste 33 mins), Rudge, Keeble. Subs not used: - Scopes, Sinclair, Stronge.

Leiston: - Beckwith, Hammond, Woerndl, Odelusi, Knights, Keys, Eagle (Hitter 45 mins), Cheetham (Kamanzi 51 mins), Davies (Kiwomya 76 mins), Henry, Sinclair. Subs not used: - Gaffer, Jessup.

Man Of The Match: - Harry Knights.

Attendance: - 213..