REPORT BY COLIN AND DANIEL ROGERS

A young and talented Leiston team belied their lowly position in the table and Harwich had to pull out all the stops in front of goal to get over the finishing line.
Leiston are the only team to defeat league leaders, Haverhill Rovers, so far this season and so this was a potential banana skin for the Shrimpers.
Harwich took the lead in the 15th minute through Alfie Eldridge (pictured), who drove his shot hard and low into the net from the edge of the penalty area.
However, only 2 minutes later, Stan Horne finished a good move to equalise for Leiston.
With 20 minutes on the clock, Leiston took the lead and again it was Horne who did the damage, this time with a 20-yard shot that he curled into the net.
The speedy Leiston youngsters were causing Harwich problems now and in dangerous attacks they hit the Shrimpers' crossbar and also forced goalkeeper Brad Cook to make a super stop, diving to block a shot.
At the half-time whistle, Harwich were relieved to go in at the break trailing by only one goal. Despite this upset, manager Matt Carmichael remained calm during the interval, emphasising to his team the need to up their game, and Harwich came out for the second half in determined mood.
The pay-off came within 2 minutes of the restart when striker Joe Knight, who had came on just before the interval, glided the ball into the net to level the scores at 2-2.
It was end to end now with Cook making another fine save and Louie Bloom having a 20-yard shot strike the Leiston crossbar.
On the hour, Leiston regained the lead with Jack Manly driving the ball low and hard through a crowded Harwich defence.
Harwich came back strongly with Bloom again unlucky with with his shot once again striking the bar and later seeing a header hit the post.
The Shrimpers had their tails up now and made it 3-3 when, from a Gareth Heath free kick, Knight's overhead kick struck the crossbar and Dan Keeble followed up to head home.
With 10 minutes of normal time remaining, Alfie Canning won possession and the ball fell to the Shrimpers' tireless man of the match, Bloom, whose 25-yard chip into the net for the winning goal was perfection.
The Shrimpers, now unbeaten in 10 matches for the first time in more than 2 years, remain 6 points behind second-placed Stanway Pegasus, but with 2 games in hand, as the excitement mounts with every game.
Harwich team: Brad Cook, Keelan Milburn, Jack Wood, Dan Keeble, Reece Harte, Gareth Heath, Alfie Eldridge, Liam White, Luke Spurling, Luke Mayhew and Louie Bloom. Substitutes: Joe Knight, Alfie Canning, Oakley McNair (all used), Alfie Smith & Tyler Sullivan (not used).

Harwich and Parkeston

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