Glen Driver’s Leiston team head to Merstham tomorrow looking to ‘cut out silly mistakes’ and turn their recent fortunes around.
After last weekend’s 3-2 defeat at home to Worthing, Leiston have slipped down to 10th place with results during the week, leaving them six points off the play-off places, while the Surrey club currently sit 14th in the league.
However, Leiston did gain some confidence on Tuesday evening when they beat a young Ipswich Town side 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the Suffolk Premier Cup.
Chris Henderson and a late Joe Jefford goal were enough to see off Ipswich and send Leiston through.
Boss Driver said during the week: “With 16 league matches to go, every one of them is like a cup final.
“We must compete and take responsibility and cut out the silly mistakes that are costing us week after week.
“The squad must dig in when the going gets tough and we must have to earn the right to win football matches. Defensively we have to be better and also we have to start taking our chances.”
Driver, who helped Leiston achieve promotion from the Thurlow Nunn First Division back in the 2003/2004 season, added: “We were poor against Ipswich in the first half the other night.
“At half time we had a chat and the players responded well and dominated the second half and we could have won by more in the end. “We hope this give us confidence going forward.
In the reverse fixture in December, the Blues beat Merstham 3-1 at Victory Road with goals coming from Christy Finch, Jack Ainsley and Byron Lawrence.
Leiston played Merstham for the first time in August 2015, winning 2-0 and completed a double over them that season. Last season, Merstham got revenge and won both matches.
Meanwhile, Rob Eagle has gone on loan to Lowestoft until the end of the season to get more game time.
Leiston Reserves host Brantham Athletic Reserves in the Suffolk Senior Cup quarter-final this afternoon. The Reserves are looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time ever in the competition.
The match kicks off at the normal time of 3pm.
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