Match Preview | Leiston (A)
The Yeltz travel to the Watson and Hillhouse Stadium on Saturday for an eight hour round trip for the first game of the season
Written by Ben Ditchfield
The Southern League Premier Division Central is back, and so are the Yeltz in competitive football. We have won our last two opening fixtures of the season since our return to step 3, a 2-1 win over Leiston at The Grove in the 2023/24 season, and a 2-1 win over Kettering Town at The Grove last season.
Head to Head
There have been six known historical meetings between the two sides, and the first came seven years ago in a 4-0 away defeat for the Yeltz. In the three resulting meetings before the most recent campaign, there was a win, draw and defeat a piece, before a second win and draw followed against our hosts last season. The most recent meeting came just four months ago, and was played at The Walton and Hillhouse Stadium. In a game that saw us clinch our place in the Southern Premier Central play-offs, former Yeltz man Kieren Donnelly opened the scoring in the 10 minutes that remained in the first half. A second former Yeltz man Reece Flanagan picked the pocket of Leiston’s Adam Mills and won a corner. A third former Halesowen player Conor Tee curled the ball beautifully for the former Yeltz number nine Donnelly to stab home. Tee doubled the Yeltz advantage bang on the hour mark. The latter won himself a free kick after a foul by Leiston right back Ollie Yun. Tee and Josh Smile stood over the ball, before the former dipped a shot perfectly into the top right. The former Yeltz number eight added his second and 15th goal of the campaign 10 minutes later from the penalty spot.
Russ Penn’s Thoughts
“We ended the season with one defeat in 14 and we will be looking to take that form into the new season. We found ourselves hard to beat near the end of the campaign and that come down to hard work and concentration. We have a big month in front of us but the only thing important to me right now is Leiston. The first game of the season wherever you are at is always tough. The emotion and energy around both teams takes over and it is whoever has the calmness and quality to shine through usually takes the points. Leiston is always a tough place to go and we will respect them like we do with every team we come up against. We’ve had them watched and we know their strengths and weaknesses. Saying this, we must take care of ourselves and control the controllables. It’s a game we are looking forward to.”
Opposition Preview
New Arrivals
Leiston have made six new signings ahead of the new season. Willie Clemons was the first to sign in Suffolk, and the Bermuda international arrived over two months ago from step 4 Felixtowe & Walton. The midfielder who has previously played in the Swedish top tier with, featured 44 times last season and scored six goals on the road to Felixtowe’s play-off campaign. Leiston fans had to wait over three weeks for their second summer arrival, but it was worth the wait. The midfielder addition of Billy Walsh, an Aldershot Town academy man, slots straight into the new midfield alongside Clemons. 19 year old Walsh featured for step 3 Hendon, step 4 Hayes & Yeading, and step 5 Stanway Rovers on loan last season. Just over a week later, a familiar face in the Southern Premier Central was brought to Leiston in the way of Lowestoft Town’s Joao Rangel, who already scored twice in pre-season for his new club. The forward who operates out wide featured 36 times in the league for the relegated side last season, and scored seven goals. Last month Leiston added two more new players, midfielder Luke Frostick who featured at Boston United last season, and 18 year old striker Ronnie Blois who scored six goals in 21 games at step 5 Dereham Town last season. The final Blues arrival so far this summer occured just last week. A former Republic of Ireland U17 and U21 international, 30 year old Kyle Callan-McFadden is the only defensive incoming, and featured 39 times at National League North King’s Lynn Town last season, ending his five year stay in Norfolk.
Summer Departures
In scimatary to Leiston’s six arrivals, six have also departed and there are some big names. The main outgoing is last season’s second highest league scorer George Quantrell. The forward departs for the Southern Premier Central newbies Bury Town, and featured 40 times in the league last season, scoring 13 goals. The defender who can also play up top Kyran Clements was the second goalscorer to leave the Blues, after he scored nine goals in 40 league appearances last season and moves just an hour down the road to AFC Sudbury. Three influential midfielders have left Chris Wiggers side this summer, Albie Armin to Aveley who made 36 league appearances last season, Ismael Fatadjo to Kettering Town who made 34, and Ollie Saunders to Needham Market who made 33. The experienced head of 37 year old Rossi Jarvis was the final Blues departure to date, and he ends his three year stay at Leiston, which included 25 league appearances last season to join step 4 Gorleston.
Players to Watch
Leiston still have various players who featured prominently last season who have decided to stay in Suffolk. The goalkeeper Billy Johnson made 38 league appearances, kept 10 clean sheets and conceded 50 goals last season. Two of the four players who featured the most last season for the Blues have departed, Kyran Clements and George Quantrell, who I have already mentioned, but the other two have stayed. Fraser Alexander missed just two league games, while Ben Fowkes missed just three, and scored eight goals. Joining new midfielders Willie Clemons, Billy Walsh, and Luke Frostick, will the the retained Fraser Alexander. The defense above goalkeeper Billy Johnson was changed multiple times throughout last season, something they may want to change for this season. Eddie Jackson, a centre half alongside Ollie Yun, a right back, were their most prominent defenders last season featuring 36 times a piece, all of which were starts for Jackson. Left sided defenders Wyatt Hill and Seb Dunbar made 29 and 26 appearances respectively last season, while new arrival Kyle Callan-McFadden will most likely slot next to Jackson in the heart of the defensive four.
Statistical Insights
Leiston
• No other side in the league last season scored first in fewer games than Leiston (15/42 – 35%), tied with Barwell, Redditch United & Hitchin Town.
• Only Banbury United (5) scored fewer times in the first 15 minutes of league games last season than Leiston’s six, tied with Barwell, Lowestoft Town & Biggleswade Town.
• Only Spalding United (19), AFC Telford United (17), and the Yeltz (15) scored more goals in the 15 minute period before half-time than Leiston’s 14, tied with Bromsgrove Sporting.
• No other side in the league last season dropped fewer points from winning positions than Leiston’s six.
Halesowen