Leiston goalkeeper Billy Johnson and Ipswich Town Women’s keeper coach on viral scissor-kick goal in Suffolk Premier Cup Final against Felixstowe & Walton United

Leiston goalkeeper Billy Johnson may not have ended up with a winner’s medal but his last-gasp scissor-kick equaliser in the Suffolk Premier Cup Final with Felixstowe & Walton United has seen him showered with plaudits as a social media sensation.

And although he has previous form with acrobatic goals, with footage showing him hit ‘top bins’ during a warm-up for previous club Stevenage back in the 2020/21 campaign, the Ipswich Town Women’s keeper coach admits he never thought he’d pull it off during a game.

Our video of him going up for a 94th-minute corner with his side trailing 2-1 at Needham Market FC last night, in a game they went on to lose out on penalties 4-3, had been viewed on X (formerly known as Twitter) 165,000 times as of 4pm today. Sky Sports and BBC Sport are among those to have picked up on footage of what was the 25-year-old’s first ever goal in senior football.

Reflecting on it with SuffolkNews, Johnson, who began senior football at his local club Beccles Town ahead of joining Norwich City, said: “To be honest I’ve gone up for a couple this season and got close but I wasn’t expecting what was about to happen next.

“It’s been a thing of mine for a while; acrobatic aerial goals. When I was at Stevenage I hit one in the warm up that did the rounds online but I never thought I’d do it during a game.

“I just saw the ball there and thought why not?

The player who signed for Leiston outright, following a previous dual-registration spell, from Kettering Town in February last year said: “Waking up this morning, it doesn’t feel real, really!

“I’m just gutted we couldn't finish the game winning penalties but that’s football.”

Former Braintree Town stopper Johnson’s opposite number, Harry Wright, the son of Ipswich Town’s promotion-winning keeper Richard, proved to be the hero of the shootout, saving the opening kick from substitute Wyatt Hill.

Felixstowe’s winning moment, having lost seven previous finals in the competition, then came when Eddie Jackson skied his side’s fifth kick to spark wild celebrations from the Seasiders and their supporters.

Winger Charlie Warren, who has been attracting interest from English Football League clubs, had opened the scoring of a cagey final with a far post header from Ollie Brown’s 61st minute cross.

Stuart Boardley’s lower-league side - who remain in the battle for promotion - looked to have one hand on the cup when Cameron Forde-Brown burst through onto a sumptuous diagonal delivery from Charlie Warren before sliding it under Johnson’s legs in the 79th minute.

But Johnson, who had a loan spell with Lowestoft Town ahead of his season with Stevenage, ultimately extended the final after running up for a Seb Dunbar corner in the fourth of five signalled additional minutes.

And while it was not the perfect storyline with the way the ensuing penalty shootout panned out, you get the feeling Johnson will be remembered for his viral moment for a long while to come.