Leiston defeated Essex club Brentwood Town last night in the Emirates FA Cup to set up a date at home to Hornchurch in the 3rd Round Qualifying stage on Saturday 28th September, in a match sponsored by CHILLESFORD FROIZE INN.

The Suffolk side were without Wyatt Hill and Ollie Saunders for the tie, who picked up knocks at the weekend, so Seb Dunbar and Kyran Clements came in to start for the Blues. Mitchell Jackson and Ethan Oldman came into the squad of eighteen.

After just two minutes, Ben Fowkes got into the area for Leiston and went down but referee Dario Mathewson booked the striker for diving. On eight minutes, Captain Dunbar crossed from the left after good play by George Quantrell and Ryan Jarvis but Brentwood cleared the ball away. The Blues won their first corner a couple of minutes later but Brentwood cleared. From a second successive corner, Melvin Minter in the away goal made a fine save to his left to deny Kyran Clements and keep the scores level.

However, Leiston took the lead on 15 minutes when Ismael Fatadjo brilliantly steered home a volley on the edge of the box into Minter’s bottom right hand corner after a ball from Dunbar on the left.

Three minutes later, Johnson tipped over a cross from Brentwood while Lee Noble’s strike was well blocked from the corner.

The away side nearly levelled on 25 minutes but Daniel Ogunleye’s headed attempt went just over. Just past the half hour mark, Quantrell was denied by a smart block from Minter as both defences remained on top for the half. Leiston had a lot of the ball but Brentwood were quite happy to sit in and see the half out just a goal down.

Eddie Jackson had to be alert to clear a cross away on 48 minutes and then just a minute later, a mix up at the back saw the away side break up the pitch but sub Benas Vaivada could only tamely shoot at Johnson in the Leiston goal. On 56 minutes, Jesse Olukolu shot just off target for the visitors as the away side started to grow more confidently into the match. Kyran Clements headed away a deep free kick on 60 minutes which Thomas Anderson tried to help into the net but he nodded wide of Johnson’s right hand upright. Fowkes was denied by Minter on 63 minutes although the flag was raised for offside.

Beans Vaivada had two more efforts go wide but Brentwood levelled on 69 minutes when the same player slotted home from close range after a cross from the Blues left. Jack Manly and Mitchell Jackson soon replaced Ryan Jarvis and Ismael Fatadjo respectively and the changes worked as from Manly’s corner, Quantrell claimed the last touch to put Leiston in the lead again. Quantrell was then foiled by Minter before Seb Dunbar was booked with a little over ten minutes to go, but Leiston defended the free kick well. Anderson nearly equalised for Brentwood again on 84 minutes before in the third minute of stoppage time, Quantrell headed home from Jamar Loza’s cross to seal the Blues place in the next round.

FT: - Blues 3-1 Brentwood Town.

Leiston head to Leicestershire to play Barwell on Saturday afternoon in their next fixture.

Blues: - Johnson, Yun, Dunbar, Clements, Eddie Jackson, Fatadjo (sub Manly 73 mins), Alexander, Fowkes (sub Fowkes 80 mins), Quantrell, Loza, Ryan Jarvis (sub Mitchell Jackson 70 mins). Subs not used: - Batho, Saunders, Oldman, Mehew (GK).
Brentwood Town: - Minter, Harvey, Cripps, Anderson, Stevenson (sub Vaivada 45 mins), Noble, Witherspoon (sub Agyakwa 57 mins) Ngandu, Ogunleye, Brown (sub Olukolu 45 mins), Freeman. Subs not used: - Hogan, Nzengo, Spencer (GK).

Match Ball Sponsors: Chillesford Froize Inn, Man Of The Match: - Eddie Jackson.

Attendance: - 199.