LEISTON swept aside AFC Sudbury to reach this season’s Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup Final.

The Blues were comfortable 3-0 winners versus AFC Sudbury in their semi-final at the Martello Ground, home of Felixstowe & Walton United FC, on Tuesday night and will now play Felixstowe & Walton United in the final.

Leiston manager Chris Wigger said afterwards: “We said to the boys in the changing room that there are not many clubs that have got something to play for at this stage of the season and we have got a cup final to look forward to and we are still in the hunt for the play-offs, so it gives us a really exciting end to the season.”

Cameron Rayworth (blue shirt, partially obscured) sidefoots home the second goal for Leiston past AFC Sudbury goalkeeper James Bradbrook. Main Photograph: Leiston players congratulate Rayworth on putting his side 2-0 ahead. Photographs: Paul Voller

Two goals in the space of three first-half minutes set Leiston, who had won 2-1 at AFC Sudbury in Southern League Premier Central on Saturday, on course for victory.

Ben Fowkes was caught by Ben Isaacson’s sliding challenge and picked himself up to convert a 22nd minute penalty, despite Bradbrook getting a strong hand to it.

Leiston then broke quickly after Joe Neal lost possession following an AFC Sudbury free-kick and Fowkes squared the ball into the path of Cameron Rayworth to sidefoot past the exposed Bradbrook.

Man-of-the-match Fowkes was denied by a good Bradbrook save and then saw a shot deflected wide just before the break.

AFC Sudbury’s best chance fell to Charlie Lewis, who lifted his shot over the crossbar after the Leiston defence failed to clear following a free-kick in the 69th minute, while George Quantrell blocked a goal-bound Neal shot late on.

AFC Sudbury's Charlie Lewis (fuchsia shirt, No.2) lifts his shot over the Leiston crossbar from six yards out following a free-kick. Photograph: Paul Voller

Jamar Loza completed the scoring in the fifth minute of injury time, sending Bradbrook the wrong way from the spot after the keeper brought him down as he tried to go round him.

Wigger said of the two goals: “Bearing in mind that Jamar (Loza) is our selected penalty-taker, for Jamar to hand the ball to Ben in the way he did and for Ben to stick it in the net sums up the bond we have got in the dressing room to me.

“Cam (Rayworth) is a young player we have high hopes for here. We have known about Cam’s ability for some time, and it is about nurturing what we have with him and that was a performance beyond his years.

“I think when we broke we were four versus one, so Fowkesy had options and needed to make the right decision, which he did.”

The Teams

Leiston: Billy Johnson, Seb Dunbar, Kyran Clements, Eddie Jackson, Ismael Fatadjo (sub Albie Armin, 71 mins), Fraser Alexander, Ben Fowkes (sub Ollie Saunders, 90+1 mins), George Quantrell, Jamar Loza, Cameron Rayworth, Wyatt Hill (sub Ollie Yun, 14 mins). Unused subs: Ryan Jarvis, Rossi Jarvis.

AFC Sudbury: James Bradbrook, Charlie Lewis, Ben Isaacson (sub Jacob Gordema, 46 mins), Jake Turner (sub Ollie Peters, 68 mins), Tom Dickens, Matty Miles, Joe Neal, Myles Cowling, Callum Page, Ben Bradley, Marcel Lewis (sub Liam Pearce, 81 mins). Unused subs: Jack Munson, Luca Terminello.

Referee: Ollie Morris-Sanders.

Attendance: 186.