PREVIEW: Woodbridge Town U23s vs Needham Market U23s

Woodbridge Town's Harry Aldous (Photo: Max Woodward)

Woodbridge Town U23s take on Needham Market U23s tonight for a place in the JLS Catering Suffolk Senior Reserve Cup Final. Having won the competition in 2019-20 and 2020-21, the Woodpeckers stand two games away from winning the cup once again. Standing in their way is Needham Market, who are looking to reach the final for the very first time.

The young Peckers have enjoyed a decent campaign so far, sitting 6th in the Thurlow Nunn U23 North Division. Last time out, Woodbridge defeated Stowmarket Town 1-4 to reach the last four of this competition - a brilliant display to knock out a very strong side in Stowmarket. Needham Market are 4th in the same division, and have won four of their last five games.

These two sides have met twice in recent months; Needham beating the Peckers 2-1 back in January, before Woodbridge struck instant revenge 4 games later by beating the Marketmen 1-0 at the Homestyle UK Ground. Two results that show how close these two teams are, and expect another tight affair in tonight’s semi-final.

In matches like this, players need to step up for both sides and deliver. Joshua Fleitas Branson will hope to continue his goalscoring form, after he netted a brace in last weekend’s quarter-final. Owen Cameron and Marcus Page have also had strong campaigns, and could be the difference makers this evening.

Needham Market will turn to top goalscorer Oliver Bowman, who has notched up seven goals in eight games. Zak Tamila is another key player for the Marketmen, and has looked in good touch of late - netting a double against Debenham last Saturday.

With a place in the final on the line, both sides will be feeling the pressure of tonight’s semi-final. The Peckers will hope to follow in the footsteps of Woodbridge Ladies, who reached the Women’s League Cup Final two weeks ago. Expect this evening to go right to the wire, with both sides having the ability to beat each other on their day. The winner will play either Coplestonians Reserves or Brantham Athletic U23s in the final.

We hope to see as many of you as possible at the Debenham Leisure Centre - the neutral venue for this game. Your support is always appreciated by the Woodpeckers, and it really does make a difference. Reaching the last four is a great achievement, and hopefully tonight we can book our place in the final. Live match updates will be on the main Woodbridge Town X account, so make sure to follow along there if you can’t make it to the game. Good luck to Aren, Caulay, Josh and the team tonight, and UP THE PECKERS!

In other exciting news, WTFC Ladies’ Day has been confirmed for 19th April, so be sure to make a note in your diary; we would love to see as many of you as possible at the club to celebrate our wonderful Ladies team! We are now looking for sponsors for the event, so if you’re interested contact WTFC-Media@outlook.com for more information. 

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