Match Preview

STOWMARKET TOWN v BLUES - TURNERS HYUNDAI SUFFOLK PREMIER CUP SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW

Match Information
Turners Hyundai Suffolk Premier Cup semi-final
Stowmarket Town v Blues
Wednesday 30th March
Kick Off 7.45pm
Bloomfields, Quinton Road, Needham Market FC, IP6 8DA.
Tel: - 01449 721000.

The Blues head to Needham Market tomorrow evening in the Turners Hyundai Suffolk Premier Cup semi-final to play Stowmarket Town.

Stowmarket have beaten Lowestoft Town (2-0), Ipswich Town XI (3-1) and Lakenheath (3-0) to reach this stage of the competition while the Blues have defeated Brantham Athletic (3-0) and Mildenhall Town (1-0) to reach the semi-finals.

Leiston lost to an excellent Coalville Town at the weekend (the first time they have ever lost to Coalville at home in four matches) and that win secured Coalville of at least a play-off spot come the end of April. The Blues remain 7th in the league with Royston Town, Stourbridge and Hednesford Town all now hot on the heels of the Blues. After tomorrow night, Leiston head to Northamptonshire to face AFC Rushden & Diamonds on Saturday before playing three of their final four league matches at home, starting with the visit of Bromsgrove Sporting next Tuesday. Will Davies will be looking to make his 100th club appearance tomorrow night if selected.

Stowmarket lost 2-1 to Aveley on Saturday after conceding a late goal and are third in the Isthmian North First Division at present, six points off leaders Aveley with two games in hand. They have seven more games to play in the league.

Tomorrow will bring a 13th semi-final in the Suffolk Premier Cup for the Blues. They first played in it in 1986 before an 18 year gap, but returned to the competition in 2004, losing in the First Round at AFC Sudbury 1-0. The following season saw the Blues reach the first of three successive finals. In the semi-finals in March 2006, Leiston won 3-1 at Hadleigh United to defeat Newmarket Town but lost in the final 3-2 after extra time to Lowestoft Town. Lee McGlone and Glen Driver were on target in the final. In 2007, Leiston beat Newmarket Town 3-1 again in the semi-finals, this time at Felixstowe & Walton United but lost 8-0 to an extremely strong Ipswich Town XI, which included Jordan Rhodes and Dean Bowditch. In 2008, a late goal by Luke Eagle saw Leiston beat Lowestoft Town at Woodbridge Town in the Last 4, but they lost to Needham Market on penalties 5-4 in the final after drawing 0-0 after extra time. Danny George had a penalty to win the Cup but Liam Jones saved his spot kick.

Since then, Leiston have lost four semi-finals (all to Bury Town in 2012, 2013 and 2014) before losing to Lowestoft Town 1-0 in 2015. 2016 saw the side win 1-0 against Needham Market in the semi-final. A dramatic 4-4 draw after extra time saw the Blues go out on penalties 4-2 to Needham Market in 2017, but the side won in 2018 and 2019 in the semi-finals to Kirkley & Pakefield and an Ipswich Town XI respectively. The Blues have lifted the Cup twice before while Stowmarket have won it three times.

If Leiston do win tomorrow, they will become only the second club in Suffolk to reach a Premier and Senior Cup final in the same season. The first, and last to date, was Sudbury Town when they reached both finals in the 1986-1987 season.