Hadleigh United boss Shane Wardley has welcomed what Ipswich Town’s presence in the Suffolk Premier Cup brings to the competition.

The Portman Road club have dipped in and out of the Cup in more recent seasons, but are back now and, although are sure to field a young team at Millfield as they tackle the Brettsiders in tonight’s second round tie, always bring out the fans.

“I’m sure Ipswich will maybe play a couple of fringe first-team players, but we know they will be mostly a young side,” Wardley said.

“But it’s all good, great to see them in the competition and great for my players to pit themselves up against professional players. See the level they are at.

“It’s good for local fans to see Ipswich Town at a non-league ground too.”

Hadleigh are battling to keep their place in Thurlow Nunn Premier and they grabbed a vital last-gasp point at home to FC Clacton on Saturday.

For new boss Wardley, it has been a positive start to life back at a Millfield club he graced as a player.

“I’ve been very impressed with everything going on here at Hadleigh,” he said.

“I didn’t enjoy being out of football and the Hadleigh job ticked all the boxes when it became available. I wanted to stay managing at this level (after leaving Ipswich Wanderers).”

Wardley is determined his side will look to give a good account of themselves against the young Super Blues tonight.

“We will play our strongest team available,” Wardley said.

“I have a few injuries but I want to win the game and we will be going for it.”

Ipswich Town won the Premier Cup three times in the 1960s, but it wasn’t until 2010 did they last win the competition.

This season they have already won at Long Melford in the previous round.

Meanwhile, Kirkley & Pakefield have received a bye in this round after Lowestoft pulled out of the competition at the start of the season.

Then, Trawlerboys boss Ady Gallagher, who has since left the club, said at the time, “As nice as it is to play in finals we can’t afford to put our limited resources into competitions like that.”