The Blues have a local derby to look forward to this weekend as they make the short trip to the Mel Group Stadium to take on AFC Sudbury in league action.

Leiston have dropped to 7th in the league table after losing 2-0 at home to Kettering Town last weekend. The Blues had good openings in the game, and missed a penalty, but the Poppies took the points in an entertaining clash.

AFC Sudbury, meanwhile, are 20th in the league and three points from safety. The Suffolk side have lost their last two games 3-0 (away to Bromsgrove Sporting and Stratford Town respectively) and will hope their fortunes change in the last two months of the season in a bid to stay up.

Earlier in the campaign, Leiston beat the Yellows 3-2 at home on a rainy night.

J.Allen put AFC Sudbury ahead early on but goals from Jamar Loza, Ben Fowkes and George Quantrell saw Leiston lead at the break. T.Dickens pulled a goal back for the visitors after half-time but Leiston eventually claimed all the points.

HE HAS COACHED BOTH...

Blues first team coach Lee Norfolk was assistant manager at AFC Sudbury, under Mark Morsley and is now head coach at Leiston. He looked ahead to the game.

“We are both hunting points for different reasons, so I expect a determined performance from them. Our games are often close affairs and with the added spice of it being a Suffolk derby. But we won’t be distracted by that and will look to treat this like any other important league game," he said.

“I enjoy going back there and seeing old friends from my era. I appreciate the successful years I had there and will always have a special feeling towards the club, but I have no hesitation when it comes to wanting to win games of football, as we do on Saturday.”

PREVIOUS MEETINGS AT SUDBURY

THE two sides first met at AFC Sudbury in the Suffolk Premier Cup first round in October 2004, that AFC Sudbury won 1-0.

Leiston played AFC Sudbury away for the first time in the league on 23rd April 2005, in their inaugural year of the Eastern Counties Premier League, with AFC Sudbury running out 3-0 winners. AFC Sudbury won the league that season, losing just four games out of a 42 league game season.

S.Banya and G.Bennett (2) scored the goals for the hosts on that afternoon, with Leiston finishing a credible 9th on their first season at Step 5.

The following season saw the teams meet at AFC Sudbury in March 2005, and the hosts again won, this time by a score line of 4-1. N.Calver, A.Claydon (2) and L.Owen were on target for AFC Sudbury while Blake Saker scored for Leiston. AFC Sudbury came third that season but gained promotion to Step 4, while Leiston did well again, coming 9th with 68 points and winning half their league games (21).

The sides didn’t meet again at Sudbury until January 2012 when the Blues won 3-2. Stuart Boardley, Gareth Heath and Rhys Henry netted for the Blues while J.Baker scored a brace for Sudbury.

The next meeting at The Mel Group Stadium came in November 2016 when Leiston won 3-1. Matt Blake, Gareth Heath and Patrick Brothers were all on target for the Blues while Liam Wales added a mate consolation for the home team.

Last season, the sides drew 1-1 at AFC Sudbury. Ross Crane scored for Leiston but AFC Sudbury drew level in the second half through Reuben Swann.

SUDBURY FACTS

ACCORDING to the 2021 Census, just under 24,000 people live in the town of Sudbury.

Sudbury was an Anglo-Saxon settlement from the end of the 8th century, and its market was established in the early 11th century. Its textile industries prospered in the Late Middle Ages, the wealth of which funded many of its buildings and churches.

AFC Sudbury were formed in 1999, when Sudbury Wanderers and Sudbury Town joined forces. As AFC Sudbury, they lost in three successive FA Vase finals between 2003 and 2005, to Brigg Town (1-2), at Boleyn Ground, West Ham, Winchester City (0-2), at St Andrew's, Birmingham City, and Didcot Town (2-3) at White Hart Lane, Tottenham.

The painter John Constable worked in and around the Sudbury area.

Sudbury is twinned with Höxter in Germany, Clermont in France and Fredensborg in Denmark.

FORM GUIDE: -
(Starting with most recent results)
AFC SUDBURY: - LLDDL
BLUES: - LLWDW

COMING UP FOR THE BLUES

Leiston and AFC Sudbury meet again on Tuesday night in the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup semi-final at Felixstowe & Walton United FC. (7.45pm kick off).

Next Saturday, the Blues host Barwell, before Chris Wigger’s side play two successive away games. The first is at Biggleswade Town on Tuesday 18th March, before the team head to Alvechurch on Saturday 22nd March. Leiston see the month out on Saturday 29th March when they host current league leaders Bedford Town.

MATCH INFORMATION
AFC Sudbury v Blues
Pitching In Southern League Central Premier
Saturday, March 8, 3pm kick off
The MEL Group Stadium, Brundon Lane, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 7HN
Tel: - 01787 275957.

Admission Prices:- Adults £12, Concessions £9, 17-18 year olds £2, U16’s FOC.

Game 33/42.