Town’s U18s are in action against Leiston at their Victory Road ground in the quarter-finals of the Omni Freight Suffolk Premier Cup this evening (KO 7.45pm).
Alan Lee’s side - which has been augmented by one or two U23s players in previous rounds - will be looking to bounce back from last Tuesday’s 2-0 FA Youth Cup defeat to Blackpool and then the subsequent 5-1 league hammering by Colchester on Friday.
The young Blues reached this year’s quarter-finals by winning 2-0 at Long Melford in round one and 5-1 at Hadleigh United in round two, a game in which Jack Lankester (pictured) scored a hat-trick.
Bostik League Premier Division Leiston suffered a 3-2 home defeat to Worthing on Saturday and manager Glenn Driver, whose assistant is former Town winger Tony Kinsella, says they’ll have to improve significantly if they’re to beat the Blues this evening.
"If we defend like that it will be a cricket score,” Driver told BBC Radio Suffolk, reflecting on his team’s weekend defending.
Last season the young Blues exited the competition to tonight’s opposition at the same stage, Leiston having run out 6-3 victors on home turf.
Town’s Suffolk Premier Cup run also ended at Leiston in the previous campaign when they were beaten 6-2 at the first round stage, again at Victory Road.
BREAKING NEWS: The Victory Road ground has passed a mid-day pitch inspection and tonight's Omni Freight Services Premier Cup tie between @leistonfc and @ITFC_Academy will go ahead as scheduled, kick-off 7.45pm pic.twitter.com/kEoHuidyTG– Suffolk FA (@SuffolkFA) February 6, 2018