LEISTON swept aside AFC Sudbury with a competent performance to reach the Suffolk Premier Cup final, at Felixstowe & Walton's Dellwood Avenue ground on Tuesday night.

Goals from Ben Fowkes (penalty, 22 mins), Cameron Rayworth (26) and Jamar Loza (penalty, 90+5) saw the Blues through to their eighth Premier Cup final. They will play Felixstowe & Walton on Wednesday, April 9, at Needham Market in the final.

Having beaten Sudbury in the Southern League at the MEL Group Stadium on Saturday, it was always going to be interesting to see how the two teams attacked each other just three nights later.

However, two goals in the space of four first-half minutes set Leiston on course for victory, a victory they rarely looked like relinquishing. Fowkes was caught by Ben Isaacson’s sliding challenge and picked himself up to convert a 22nd minute penalty, despite James Bradbrook getting a strong hand to it.

Leiston then broke quickly after Joe Neal lost possession following an AFC Sudbury free-kick and Fowkes squared the ball into the path of Rayworth to expertly thump home.

The match was sealed in added-on time at the end of the game, as Loza broke free, went round Bradbrook in the AFC Sudbury goal, before being brought down by the 'keeper. Loza duly dispatched the penalty.

Leiston manager Chris Wigger said to the Suffolk FA website afterwards: “We said to the boys in the changing room that there are not many clubs that have got something to play for at this stage of the season and we have got a cup final to look forward to and we are still in the hunt for the play-offs, so it gives us a really exciting end to the season.”

And the Blues boss said of the two goals: “Bearing in mind that Jamar (Loza) is our selected penalty-taker, for Jamar to hand the ball to Ben in the way he did and for Ben to stick it in the net sums up the bond we have got in the dressing room to me.

“Cam (Rayworth) is a young player we have high hopes for here. We have known about Cam’s ability for some time, and it is about nurturing what we have with him and that was a performance beyond his years.

“I think when we broke we were four versus one, so Fowkesy had options and needed to make the right decision, which he did.”

On a pleasant night for football, Fowkes almost gave the Blues the lead within 20 seconds, as he forced Bradbrook into a save.

It was an even start though, and Leiston skipper, Seb Dunbar, had to make a last-ditch tackle to stop an AFC Sudbury attack, an attack which left Wyatt Hill in distress for the home side. He hobbled off with an ankle injury and was replaced by Ollie Yun.

Ben Bradley shot just wide of Billy Johnson's post, before Fowkes won, and scored, his penalty, and Rayworth slotted home a few minutes later.

The mood of the game had changed dramatically and although AFC Sudbury kept battling, Johnson in the Leiston goal was rarely tested as the half came to a close.

Loza's cross went straight into Bradbrook's hands as the second half got underway, while AFC Sudbury’s best chance fell to Charlie Lewis, who lifted his shot over the crossbar after the Leiston defence failed to clear following a free-kick in the 69th minute, while George Quantrell blocked a goal-bound Neal shot late on.

Loza completed the scoring, this time he won and netted a penalty as Leiston and their fans celebrated at the final whistle.

FT: Blues 3 AFC Sudbury 0

Line-ups:-
Leiston: Johnson, Dunbar, Clements, Jackson, Fatadjo (sub Armin, 71 mins), Alexander, Fowkes (sub Saunders, 90+1 mins), Quantrell, Loza, Rayworth, Hill (sub Yun, 14 mins). Unused subs: Ryan Jarvis, Rossi Jarvis.

AFC Sudbury: Bradbrook, Lewis, Isaacson (sub Gordema, 46 mins), Turner (sub Peters, 68 mins), Dickens, Miles, Neal, Cowling, Page, Bradley, Lewis (sub Pearce, 81 mins). Unused subs: Munson, Terminello.

Referee: Ollie Morris-Sanders.
Blues man-of-the-match: Ben Fowkes
Attendance: 186.