THE Blues host Needham Market tonight in the Quarter Finals of this year’s Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup (7.45pm kick off), writes Craig Cooper.

The team drew 1-1 at home to Bromsgrove Sporting on Saturday, with Harvey Sayer netting the goal, in an overall very good performance.

Jack Manly could miss the game through injury after going off on Saturday while Jude Frostick could return after missing the last two league fixtures but Ben Fowkes has left the club to join League rivals and current leaders Spalding United.

Tonight's winner will play Bury Town in the Semi Finals of this year’s competition, while Felixstowe & Walton United will play Haverhill Rovers in the other last four encounter.

Needham beat Leiston 1-0 at the end of 2025 in front of 509 spectators at the Flannery Stadium with substitute Seth Chambers getting the winner in the second half. The Blues won at Bloomfields last August 2-1. Ronnie Blois put Leiston ahead before Luke Ingram levelled just after the half hour mark. But substitute Joe McNeil won it for Leiston in the 84th minute to seal the points.

Leiston are still 8th in the league, three points behind Needham Market (in 7th) although Needham have played two games less than Leiston. The Marketmen won 3-0 at home to Halesowen Town on Saturday.

PREVIOUS PREMIER CUP MEETINGS

NEEDHAM'S league victory last December saw them win at Leiston for the first time in 15 attempts in the league, stretching back to April 2004.

The Blues had previously won 12 and drawn two of the two sides last 14 league meetings at Leiston.

However, in the Suffolk Premier Cup, Leiston have won just one previous meeting in six ties against Needham Market.

Their first meeting came in the competition final at Portman Road on Tuesday 22nd April 2008, when the Blues lost 5-4 on penalties to Needham after extra time, with the game ending 0-0.

Leiston won 5-0 away at Ipswich Wanderers, 3-2 at Mildenhall Town and best Lowestoft Town 1-0 in the Semi Final at Woodbridge Town to reach their first final in 2008.

Meanwhile, Needham Market won 4-1 at Bury Town, beat Felixstowe & Walton United 5-0 at home then booked their final appearance with a 3-2 win over Kirkley & Pakefield at Leiston.

It would be another eight years before the sides would face each other. This time it was in the semi-finals of the competition on Tuesday March 8th, 2016, at AFC Sudbury. Leiston won 1-0 thanks to Christy Finch’s second minute goal. The Blues lost 3-1 in the final to Lowestoft Town at Portman Road.

The following season, 2016/2017, saw both sides compete in an excellent game which ended 4-4 after extra-time time, but Needham advanced 4-2 on spot kicks, with the semi-final being played at Woodbridge Town on Wednesday 15th March 2017.

Matt Blake opened the scoring just before the interval and although Jacob Marsden saved Cameron Norman’s early second half penalty, Kem Izzet did level from the spot moments later in a lively opening to the second half. Joe Jefford headed Leiston back into the lead on 76 minutes but just three minutes later Luke Ingram equalised to restore parity once again. John Sands put Needham ahead on 86 minutes but Blake levelled in the 92nd minute to take the game to extra time.

Jake Hutchings gave Leiston the lead for a third time in the 105th minute of the match but Needham equalised again through Sands on 116 minutes. Jack Ainsley saw red for a second bookable offence so Leiston played the last few moments with ten men.

Unfortunately for Leiston, Blake and Ollie Brown had spot kicks saved and Reece Dobson stepped up to score the winning penalty for Needham. Needham would go on to beat Lowestoft Town in the final at Colchester United FC.

The sides met next in the Suffolk Premier Cup on Tuesday 10th March 2020, with Needham winning 1-0 at Leiston in the quarter-finals after Jose Santa De La Paz’s goal on two minutes gave the away team the win.

The sides were due to play in the First Round of the competition at Bloomfields in the following season, but the season was quickly null and void again due to COVID-19.

In the 2021/2022 campaign, the sides reached the final, which was played at Colchester United. Needham won 5-4 on spot kicks again after the game finished 0-0 after normal time. The match took place on Thursday 21st April 2022.

The final time the two teams met was on Tuesday 18th April 2023, with Needham winning 1-0. Luke Ingram’s penalty halfway through the second half was the difference in the semi-final at Stowmarket Town.

Leiston have won the Suffolk Premier Cup twice, in 2018 and 2019, while Needham have won the competition on six occasions, winning it four times in succession between 2020 and 2024. (2020/2021 season null and void).

FORM GUIDE:
(Most recent league game first)

BLUES: D W D D L

NEEDHAM MARKET: W W L L W

MATCH INFORMATION
Blues v Needham Market
Suffolk Premier Cup Quarter Final
Tuesday 17th February 2026, 7.45pm kick off
The Flannery Stadium, LTAA, Victory Road, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4DQ
Tel: 01728 830308

Admission Prices:- Adults £13, Concessions (over 65s) £10, Students (with ID) £8, Under 16’s £3, Under 5’s Free of charge.

Please note that season tickets are not valid tonight.

Match Sponsor: HAMILTON SMITH

Match Ball Sponsor: MR TIM HUDSON