OVERVIEW

THE Blues U23s host Halesworth Town on Saturday, with the sides meeting at this level for the very first time in either sides history, writes Craig Cooper.

Neil Smye’s U23s team have lost just one league game in their last five, whilst the U23s have lost just two of their last eight matches in all competitions.

The side are now at the bottom of the Thurlow Nunn First Division North table, but continue to improve this campaign.

Last weekend saw the U23s progress into the last 16 of this season’s Suffolk Senior Cup. Goals from Mackenzie Travis and sub Jack McLeavy helped beat Sporting 87 2-1. The team now host Sudbury Sports, with a date and kick off time still to be arranged.

MEET HALESWORTH

THE clubs met a lot in the Suffolk & Ipswich League, with the Blues first team and Halesworth Town playing each other on numerous occasions, before the Blues took the jump in 2001 into Eastern Counties football.

Halesworth are currently 15th in the Thurlow Nunn First Division North, having taken 11 points from their 9 league games thus far. They lost on Tuesday night in the League Challenge Cup, 5-2 away at Wroxham.

Ex-Blues boss Carl Chenery, who played more than 200 games for the Blues first team in all competitions, has been in charge of Halesworth Town since 2018. Carl also managed Leiston from November 2007 until May 2010.

The club since then has gone from the SIL Division 2 to the Thurlow Nunn League First Division North, gaining three promotions and winning the SIL Division Two title in 2018/2019. They also won the Suffolk Junior Cup in 2020. They beat AFC Sudbury Sports 6-4 on that occasion at Walsham-le-Willows.

Halesworth Town, like Leiston, have won the Suffolk Junior Cup on three occasions. As well as winning it in 2020, they won it in 1906 and 1924.

This season, Halesworth Town played in the FA Vase for the very first time and have beaten Godmanchester Rovers (3-1, H) and Ipswich Wanderers (3-1, H) to reach round one of the competition where they will visit Belstone next week.

Halesworth Town have a few ex-Blue players in their squad with the likes of Reagan King, Hayden Ling, Toby Payne, Sam Newson and Tane Backhouse. Payne played a few games for the Blues first team in 2010/2011, when the Blues won the Eastern Counties Premier Division title.

The side play their homes matches at Dairy Hill and joined the Suffolk and Ipswich League in 1966.

FORM GUIDE
(League results only, starting with most recent game): -
BLUES U23s: - DDLWW
HALESWORTH TOWN: - LWLDD.

Games coming up for the u23s in the next few weeks: -
Sat 18th Oct: - Long Melford (A)
Sat 25th Oct: - WIVENHOE TOWN (H)
Sat 1st Nov: - WHITTLESEY ATHLETIC (H)
Sat 8th Nov: - HOLLAND (H)

MATCH INFORMATION
Blues U23s v Halesworth Town
Thurlow Nunn League First Division North
Saturday, October 11, 3pm kick off
Flannery Stadium, Victory Road, Leiston IP16 4DQ
Tel: - 01728 830308.

Admission Prices:- Adults £7, Concessions (over 65’s) £4, Students (with ID) £3, U16s FOC.