LEISTON'S season has already seen plenty of action in both league and cup games.
As we reach the halfway point of the league campaign, they lie 11th in the Southern League Central Premier table, accumulating 25 points from their 18 league games, while they have won five cup games (3 in the FA Cup and 2 in the Suffolk Premier Cup) to date.
The Blues have scored 41 goals (with top scorer Jamar Loza netting 15 in all comps) and conceded 35 times. All matches below are league games unless stated.
Saturday August 10th
Stratford Town 3-0 Blues
The Blues were given a hard start in ‘Shakespeare Country’ on opening weekend, as three first half goals gave the hosts full control of the game. Leiston made a good fight if it second half but the damage was done.
Attendance: - 464
Tuesday August 13th
Blues 1-1 Bishop’s Stortford
Ben Fowkes' last-gasp penalty on 92 minutes helped Leiston rescue a draw and secure a first point of the season in a really entertaining match. Greg Halford, who played for Colchester United, was sent off with virtually the last kick of the match.
Attendance: - 233
Saturday August 17th
Blues 1-1 Harborough Town
Leiston again came from a goal behind thanks to George Quantrell’s second half strike as the Leicestershire side had a man sent off with 20 minutes to go. It was the first time the two sides met in their history. Harborough went out of the FA Cup at the weekend to Reading, 5-3 after extra time.
Attendance:- 187
Saturday August 24th
Banbury United 1-0 Blues
A goal after ten minutes gave Banbury United the points but Leiston had some very good chances in the second half but couldn’t find the back of the net. It meant Leiston had picked up two points from their opening four games.
Attendance:- 550
Monday August 26th
Blues 2-0 Royston Town
A bright sunny day at Victory Road saw Leiston win their opening game of the campaign. George Quantrell with a goal in either half helped the Blues to the three points with Royston finishing with ten men.
Attendance: - 194
Saturday August 31st
Blues 4-1 Waltham Abbey
(Emirates FA Cup first round qualifying)
A brace from Jamar Loza and George Quantrell in the opening 35 minutes secured an easy passage into the next round. Waltham got a late consolation just before the 90 minutes were up.
Attendance: - 103
Saturday September 7th
Halesowen Town 1-1 Blues
Leiston performed well as a late Kyran Clements goal with just under ten minutes remaining claimed a point. Club captain Seb Dunbar came on as a late sub to make his first appearance of the season.
Attendance: - 1,203
Tuesday September 10th
Blues 3-2 AFC Sudbury
A fantastic local derby win over rivals AFC Sudbury on a terrible night for football. After going a goal down early on, Ben Fowkes, Jamar Loza and George Quantrell put Leiston in control before Sudbury pulled a late goal back and Billy Johnson made a great save at the end to secure the win.
Attendance: - 170
Saturday September 14th
Brentwood Town 2-2 Blues
(Emirates FA Cup second round)
Leiston went ahead twice in the tie through Jamar Loza and an own goal. Brentwood equalised at the death as the tie went to a replay.
Attendance:- 364
Tuesday, September 17th
Blues 3-1 Brentwood Town
(Emirates FA Cup second round replay)
George Quantrell (2) and a first goal for Ismael Fatadjo helped the Blues to a 3-1 win. Brentwood had levelled with just over 20 minutes to go. It set up a home tie for the Blues with Hornchurch in the next round.
Attendance: - 199
Saturday September 21st
Barwell 0-0 Blues
A game played in thunder and lightning for most of the second half meant conditions were pretty tricky. Leiston had the better of the first half with the Blues being on the back foot in the second half as a draw was the fairest of outcomes.
Attendance: - 172
Tuesday September 24th
Bedford Town 4-3 Blues
Kyran Clements, Jamar Loza and George Quantrell were all on the scoresheet but Bedford netted a late goal that sent them top. Both sides had a man sent off with Wyatt Hill sent off for the Blues. Seb Dunbar made his 400th club appearance in the game.
Attendance: - 451
Saturday September 28th
Hornchurch 1-1 Blues
(Emirates FA Cup third round qualifying)
A really good showing saw Hornchurch score on the hour mark but Leiston didn’t give up and Kyran Clements late header from Fraser Alexander’s free-kick helped the Blues stay in the competition.
Attendance: - 312
Tuesday October 1st
Hornchurch 1-3 Blues AET
(Emirates FA Cup third round qualifying replay)
After being second best in the first half, Leiston turned around their fortunes after the break when Eddie Jackson levelled. After the Hornchurch keeper was red carded, Jamar Loza netted two in extra time (one a penalty) as Leiston set up at tie at home to Dagenham & Redbridge, in what was one of their best performances of the season so far.
Attendance: - 274
Saturday October 5th
Blues 1-1 Horsham
(Isuzu FA Trophy third round qualifying)
Ben Fowkes scored to put Leiston in front but Horsham netted in the second half as the game went to penalties. Jamar Loza, Eddie Jackson and Fowkes scored from the spot but Leiston went out 4-3 on penalties on a disappointing afternoon.
Attendance: - 128
Saturday October 12th
Blues 1-5 Dagenham & Redbridge
(Emirates FA Cup fourth round qualifying)
New signing Harley Curtis came on as a sub and made it 1-1 against the National League side, but four goals in the last 15 minutes put the ‘Daggers’ through, the result rather flattering them. The Essex side are in the third round now, against Millwall.
Attendance: - 654
Tuesday October 15th
Hitchin Town 1-1 Blues
Billy Johnson saved a penalty but Hitchin took the lead eventually. However, in the 96th minutes, Loza scrambled the ball home from close range as the Blues left Hertfordshire with a point.
Attendance: - 378
Saturday October 19th
Redditch United 1-2 Blues
Leiston came from a goal behind to win the match 2-1 thanks to a double from Jamar Loza. The match saw 13 minutes of stoppage time played out in the second half. But this was a terrific result for the Blues.
Attendance: - 680
Tuesday October 22nd
Spalding United 1-2 Blues
A brilliant performance from the side saw Billy Johnson make three great saves in the first half. Ben Fowkes and Jamar Loza scored for the Blues as Spalding got a late goal but the Blues defence held firm in a first-ever meeting sides.
Attendance: - 282
Tuesday October 29th
Bury Town 0-1 Blues
(Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup first round)
Leiston forced ex-keeper Charlie Beckwith into some good saves throughout, but Ben Fowkes gave the Blues the lead on 88 minutes. Late on, Blues current 'keeper Billy Johnson made two fantastic saves to confirm Leiston’s route into the next round.
Attendance: - 338
Saturday November 2nd
Blues 1-1 Stamford
Jamar Loza’s penalty gave the Blues the lead but second-placed Stamford netted a great equaliser in a game where both sides ended up feeling they could have taken all three points.
Attendance: - 251
Saturday November 9th
Blues 0-0 Bromsgrove Sporting
Blues keeper Billy Johnson saved another penalty as Leiston were below par but put another point on their tally, in what was a game of few other chances.
Attendance: - 161
Tuesday November 12th
Blues 2-1 Alvechurch
Fraser Alexander netted his first goal while Jamar Loza again was on target. Alvechurch scored with their last kick of the game with Leiston defending well on the night to keep their unbeaten home league record in tact.
Attendance: - 122
Saturday November 16th
St Ives Town 1-3 Blues
Jamar Loza’s double and Albie Armin’s goal on 96 minutes saw Leiston come back from an early goal to defeat an impressive St Ives in an end to end match. Wyatt Hill picked up a concussion injury while Eddie Jackson unfortunately dislocated his ankle.
Attendance: - 324
Saturday November 23rd
Kettering Town 2-1 Blues
George Quantrell’s strike looked to have given Leiston a point on 79 minutes but a goal ten minutes after secured another win for top of the table Kettering as the Blues unbeaten run came to an end, despite an excellent display.
Attendance: - 881
Tuesday November 26th
Blues 2-1 Lowestoft Town
(Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup second round)
All five goals came in the space of five minutes. Ben Fowkes gave Leiston the lead but Lowestoft quickly levelled a minute later before Quantrell put in Rossi Jarvis’ header that came back against the bar to set up a tie with and Ipswich Town XI in the quarter-finals.
Attendance: 119
Saturday November 30th
Blues 0-2 AFC Telford
Two goals early on by the visitors made it tough for Leiston and although the Blues had a couple of good chance to score, a two goal lead deficit was too much to come from.
Attendance: - 162