AFC Sudbury are out to win their first-ever League Cup title tonight and in the process destroy Lowestoft's hopes of a brilliant treble. The Blues from north Suffolk are already Ridgeons League champions and retained the Suffolk Premier Cup after victory against Leiston on Friday.

By Mike Bacon

RIDGEONS LEAGUE

CUP FINAL

AFC Sudbury v Lowestoft

At Diss Town FC, 7.45pm

AFC Sudbury are out to win their first-ever League Cup title tonight and in the process destroy Lowestoft's hopes of a brilliant treble.

The Blues from north Suffolk are already Ridgeons League champions and retained the Suffolk Premier Cup after victory against Leiston on Friday.

Victory tonight would make it a glorious season for Micky Chapman and Ady Gallagher's men, but they come up against an AFC Sudbury side that have a big desire for victory.

Apart from having never won the League Cup and having no silverware as yet to show for their season, the Sudbury players will be driven by the fact that for Gary Harvey and Michael Cheetham, manager and first-team coach, it is their final game in charge of the club.

The pair announced last month that they would be leaving King's Marsh at the end of the season and for a team of players who greatly respect them, there is nothing they would like to do more than finish on a high.

“We would like to win the Cup for Gary and Michael,” Sudbury midfielder Paul Betson said last night.

“They have been great to us all and have looked after us. It was a great shock to the players when they said they were quitting at the end of the season, so it would be nice if we could finish with a trophy, for them, as much as for ourselves and our fans.”

Betson has been at AFC Sudbury since 2000 - the year Town and Wanderers amalgamated - and he is not used to ending a season with a bare trophy cabinet.

“It has been a disappointing season, especially in the League, because in February we went and won 3-0 at Lowestoft,” he added.

“We thought that was them out of it and maybe we took our lead at the top a bit for granted. But fair play to them and now they are after the treble - it is a big game for both of us.”

Meanwhile Lowestoft joint manager Ady Gallagher knows his side face a tough test if they are to pull off victory over Harvey's side.

“Sudbury are a great side, we know that,” he said.

“As a club we have seen both sides of them this season and although we had plenty of tired legs after Friday, we are looking forward to it now and will be up for it.”

“Of course the treble would be great, but I think it is something you must look back on having won it, rather than looking forward to hopefully winning it.”

Richard Woodrow, the two-goal hero against Needham Market 10 days ago, is a doubt for the Blues.

mike.bacon@archant.co.uk