LEISTON begin their FA Cup campaign on Saturday as Waltham Abbey visit Victory Road, 3pm ko.

Leiston’s win on Bank Holiday Monday lifted the club up three places to 17th in the Southern League Central Premier table. George Quantrell’s goal in the first minute of added on time at the end of the first half set the Blues on their way before on 70 minutes, Quantrell grabbed his second and his third overall of the campaign.

Waltham Abbey lost 2-1 to Sporting Bengal United on the opening day of the campaign but have won their last three games in all competitions. A 3-2 win against Leighton Town in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup was the first victory before a 1-0 win against Mildenhall at home and 1-0 away win at Walthamstow on Monday helped the side move up to 8th place in the league.

The winners of this weekend's tie receive £2,250, while the losers pick up £750.

Both sides have met before. The first-ever encounter came on Saturday 20th August 2011 when Leiston played their first game at Step 4. A 3-3 draw was played out before the Blues won 2-1 at home in March 2012, a win that helped the side win promotion to Step 3 and win the Isthmian North Division.

The Blues have now had 21 years of playing in the FA Cup consecutively. The side went 46 years between 1958 and 2004 of not competing in the best competition in the world. The Blues went down 6-2 at home to Whitton United in 1958 but with much anticipation for the 2004/2005 campaign (Leiston’s first ever at Step 5), the Blues beat Felixstowe & Walton United 4-1 in a Replay at Victory Road, after a 1-1 draw on the Saturday. This was an Extra Preliminary Round and Leiston went out in the next round (Preliminary Round) to Tilbury (2-0, at home).

Games involving Suffolk and Norfolk sides in the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round this weekend: -
Gorleston v Walthamstow
Tilbury v Brantham Athletic
Lowestoft Town v Potters Bar Town
AFC Dunstable v AFC Sudbury
Bishop’s Stortford v Cornard United
Harleston v Biggleswade Town
Great Yarmouth Town v Cheshunt
Felixstowe & Walton United v Leverstock Green
Newmarket Town v Ipswich Wanderers
Witham Town v Sheringham.

Match Information
Blues v Waltham Abbey
Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round
3pm kick off
Watson & Hillhouse Stadium, Victory Road, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4DQ
Tel: - 01728 830308.

Match Sponsor: - Victory Self Store.

Admission Prices
Adults £12, Concessions £9, Students (with ID) £7, U16’s £3, U5’s FOC.
PLEASE NOTE: Season tickets ARE NOT VALID for this game. Admission is ON THE GATE only (No tickets available online).