Felixstowe & Walton United beat Needham Market on penalties to reach Suffolk Premier Cup final

Stuart Boardley’s hopes of signing off as Felixstowe & Walton United manager with a league and cup double remain intact after last night’s semi-final penalty shootout drama.

Along with his assistant Andy Crump, Boardley revealed over the weekend that he would be stepping down as Seasiders boss at the end of the current campaign.

And in what was Felixstowe’s first outing since that shock announcement, the pair watched on as their side got the better of National League North outfit Needham Market on spot kicks in the last four of the Endeavour Automotive Suffolk Premier Cup.

Two quickfire second-half goals from Josh Hitter and Tom Warren put Felixstowe in command of the tie at Ipswich Wanderers’ Humber Doucy Lane, only for Needham’s Seth Chambers to score twice – including an 89th-minute equaliser – to force the tie to penalties.

Hitter, Willie Clemons and Sam Ford all duly netted from 12 yards for Felixstowe, but the main hero was their goalkeeper Harry Wright, who kept out efforts from Luke Ingram, Reggie Lambe and Jake Dye to send his side through to the final 3-0.

Boardley said: “Wrighty was incredible. I have been saying it for a long time but show me a better keeper around this level.

“He has been brilliant for us all season, not just his technical goalkeeping ability and what he can do, but his character around the place. He has really lifted us this year and I hope he was the missing piece in the puzzle for us.”

For Boardley’s opposite number Tom Rothery, the focus now quickly switches to the Marketmen’s hopes of preserving their Step 2 status. With 11 games remaining Needham are in the relegation zone with a two-point gap to safety.

Rothery said: “We dug ourselves out of a hole and then obviously lost on penalties. We have come out the right side on a number of penalty shoot-outs and that’s just the way it goes. It’s a lottery when it goes to penalties.

“We have got to take it on the chin and like I said to the players try to get a positive out of a negative. There’s one clear goal now for this season – we have no other distractions, it’s really clear what we have got to try and do.”

The defeat ended Needham’s pursuit of an unprecedented fifth successive win in the competition, while Felixstowe await the outcome of next week’s clash between AFC Sudbury and Leiston to determine who they will lock horns with in the final (venue TBC) on April 9.